What are you thankful for? This question now holds more weight and may be a little difficult to answer after an unimaginable year. Each Thanksgiving, we ask some of our amazing patients (and facility dogs) to share their perspective on thankfulness a...

Nancy Dambro, M.D., knew she wanted to be a physician at the ripe old age of 8. Her keen grasp of science and love for helping others were initial career-choice catalysts, but her mother encouraged the endeavor for its practicality and job security.A...

As Tarrant County continues to see record COVID-19 cases, doctors across Cook Children’s Health Care System urge the community to avoid large gatherings for Thanksgiving. Instead of traditional celebrations, our physicians offer advice on how to conn...

By Alice Phillips, M.D.What lessons has COVID taught me?I have studied a lot in my life. Memorized countless pathways and scientific principles. But some lessons and points of medicine are learned the hard way.Today is day 14/14 of my quarantine at h...

By Justin Smith, M.D.For many of you, we've walked through multiple public health concerns together over the years.EbolaEnterovirus 68SARSAnd my major message has always been:Let's have perspective. Let's stay calm.But today is not that day.We are ei...

With the rise in local COVID-19 cases, Cook Children’s Medical Center is changing its inpatient visitor policy to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus on campus. Beginning Monday, Nov. 16 at 5 a.m., only one primary caregiver will be allowed per...

The tiniest patients at Cook Children's Medical Centerand their families celebrate their first Halloween.  Stitch-a-Wish, the volunteer sewing, knitting and crocheting group for Cook Children's, generously provided the most fragile babies with ori...

If your child has been exposed to COVID-19, you may be wondering what happens next.  All patients with exposure to COVID-19, regardless of symptoms, will need to quarantine for 14 days. This is required, regardless of test results, because COVID-1...

Beginning Nov. 1, landmarks across Fort Worth will light the skyline purple, the official color of epilepsy awareness, in partnership with Cook Children’s. Each year, the Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center at Cook Children’s makes it a priorit...

Cook Children’s Health Care System has been named to this year’s 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list curated by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. This is the first year for Cook Children’s to make the list and comes after a recent enhan...

Like so many children and teenagers, 15-year-old Emma’s struggle with bullying is lifelong. She compares being picked on by classmates since kindergarten to losing part of her childhood. One day in 7th grade, Emma came home especially upset about ...

By Michelle Bailey, MD First of all, families need to discuss risks and benefits of traveling by car or plane. I understand the desire to see your grandparents at Thanksgiving and Christmas. My own Grandma is in an assisted living center and I hav...

Today is Global Handwashing Day, and thanks to the pandemic, this observation has never felt more imperative. “It’s important to wash your hands before and after you eat, it’s important to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom,” said Mary S...

With kids going back to school, new questions are coming up on when kids should be tested for COVID-19 and when they can return to school. Keep in mind there are some conflicting and confusing pieces of advice out there and this is only promised t...

An alarming rate of children are purposefully harming themselves and ending up at Cook Children’s Medical Center. In August, 29 patients were admitted to the hospital after attempting suicide. This marks the third worst month since at least 2015. ...

For more than six years, Cook Children’s online newsroom has provided the latest in pediatric health news to more than 16 million people in 230 different countries. But during all that time, the team behind the scenes felt they had more to accompl...

The number of patients treated for gunshot injuries at Cook Children’s is on the rise, and experts fear the trend may continue with a recent surge of firearm sales. A Fort Worth child under the age of 5 became the hospital’s 23rd gunshot wound patien...

For two nurse residents at Cook Children’s, walking a mile in a patient’s shoes isn’t too hard to imagine because they’ve been there, or rather, here. Jason Schilder and Emily Whitworth have both experienced life as a patient at Cook Children’s. In f...

By Ashley Parrott Widespread change due to the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the nation, which has left many parents struggling to keep essential appointments with, not only their physicians, but with behavioral health specialists as well. Parents a...

By Diane Arnaout, M.D. Well…there’s no doubt about it. 2020 is going down in the record books as a real dumpster fire of a year. We have a new enemy. The novel coronavirus has slithered its unpredictable and sometimes deadly tentacles into ever...

By Bianka Soria-Olmos In the United States the Census takes place every 10 years. By now we hope you have heard that the Census is taking place this year. The goal of each census is to count each person in the US. Why does the census matter? This ...

By Cheryl Clark Looking at Trea, you would never know he’s confronted multiple diagnoses and endured numerous medical procedures and even transplants. Or how on two different occasion that doctors told his mom that he narrowly dodged death on two ...

When it comes to drownings, the summer of 2020 is a year for the record books. For the first time since at least 2012, Cook Children’s saw a total of 17 pediatric drowning patients in June and July. To put that in perspective, that’s less than half o...

As the fall semester approaches we know how hard it has been for parents and families to decide the mode of learning for their children. Some school districts have opted for a hybrid model in which the school year will start with ALL students in the ...

Did you know that schools consider French fries and ketchup as vegetable servings in their cafeteria served lunches?! In just a few minutes in the evenings, you can prepare a more nutritious lunch for your kiddos. You can prepare these meals even ...

As we continue to worry about the spread of COVID-19, now we hear that positive West Nile Virus mosquito activity is at record high levels in Tarrant County. It seems 2020 is not quite ready to give us a break any time soon. Tarrant County Publ...

When it comes to going to the pediatrician’s office, one of the first questions your child may ask is, “Am I going to get a shot?” And as parents, we generally say, “I’m not sure.” That answer leaves us typically feeling uninformed and helpless. B...

By Hannah Chong, M.D., FAAP The next time you visit one of our clinics or hospitals, you may notice a slight change to our mask policy. We still require all patients, accompanying family members, and staff to wear a mask when they enter any of our...

Cook Children’s CEO Rick Merrill announced today that Winifred King, Assistant Vice President of Public Relations, Corporate Communications and Social Media has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Diversity Officer. As part of the he...

By Michelle Bailey, M.D. Sleep, it’s important, right?! Has your kid's new COVID-19 schedule got them going to bed after midnight and sleeping until noon? Well it’s time NOW to start getting back into a normal sleep schedule for school, even...