“Our services have grown and we are excited to provide a more convenient location for our families that are visiting the specialty clinic offices,” said Ozioma Olowu, AVP, Pharmacy Administration . “With this new location, we are expanding our ability to dispense more specialty medications for our medically complex patients and have already begun work with clinic staff and their new dedicated pharmacy teams.”

“We are easily accessible from our new parking garage, which has convenient, reserved parking spaces for retail pharmacy customers on the ground floor! We offer the same unique services our families have come to appreciate at our first location such as compounding and flavoring medications,” Olowu said.

Retail Pharmacy

• Address: 1500 Cooper St Suite 1541
• Phone: 682-303-3900
• Email: DodsonRetailPharmacy@cookchildrens.org

On Tuesday, Cook Children’s Health Care System celebrated the grand opening of a new space dedicated to the siblings of children with medically complex needs. It’s called the Panda Cares® Center of Hope Sibling Support Center and is located inside the newly expanded Dodson Specialty Clinics building at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth.

The Panda Cares Center of Hope Sibling Support Center offers the siblings of Dodson Specialty Clinic patients a place to play, create and connect with other children whose families face similar challenges while their brother or sister attends clinic appointments. It also relieves the stress of parents and caregivers so they can concentrate on their child’s medical appointments knowing their other children have a safe and supportive space dedicated to their well-being, too.

The complex medical needs of a child with a chronic condition or life-changing injury can strain the mental and emotional health of the whole family, including brothers and sisters, according to Audra Trussell, coordinator of the Panda Cares Center of Hope Sibling Support Center.

“We are really focused on the sibling’s emotional and psychosocial care,” Trussell said. “A lot of times, they don’t need as much attention as their chronically ill brother or sister so they may feel a little left out and dragged around from appointment to appointment. At this center, we’re able to focus on those kids, give them the care they deserve as well, help them process their feelings and what they are experiencing, and make them feel like a member of the Cook Children’s family, too.”

The center is staffed by Trussell, who has a background in child development, and Judith Siharath, Panda Cares Center of Hope Sibling Support Center assistant, who has experience in psychology and child development. Cook Children’s volunteers will also be on hand to assist.

Everything for the Child

The Panda Cares Center of Hope Sibling Support Center is a therapeutic activity center full of everything for the child, from developmentally appropriate toys and sensory play items to arts and craft supplies. Each day Trussell and Siharath will offer child visitors a guided activity that sparks their imagination, creativity and conversation.

“Every day we'll have a different activity to do that will open up a new discussion for our sibling guests because, given their family’s situation, they might not get that opportunity outside of here, and we want to make sure they feel like they are the center of attention,” Siharath explained. “For example, we have an activity where kids can make a rainbow with colors based upon their feelings. We would ask them questions like, ‘What colors represent you?’ and ‘Which color represents your inside and outside feelings?’”

The questions are meant to help kids connect with other children who also have a sibling with a medical condition and may be experiencing similar emotions related to their brother or sister’s health.

“When we're all sitting around the table and these open-ended questions are being asked to help draw the child out and give them an opportunity to speak up, they'll get to hear other siblings say some things that they may not have felt like they could say out loud, and feelings that they’ve had regarding their sibling that is a patient,” Trussell said. “So that peer-to-peer support is an important piece that we want to emphasize here, too.”

Connecting the Dots for the Whole Family

Together with other Cook Children’s sibling support programs, The Panda Cares Center of Hope Sibling Support Center connects the dots of family-centered care at the health system. It’s an extension, Trussell says, of the work Child Life Services does to care for the mental and emotional health of the whole family through offerings like the Cook Children’s Sib2Sib Program™. Through weekend workshops, camps and family events, Sib2Sib gives patient siblings the opportunity to express themselves and their feelings, receive undivided adult attention, learn coping skills and connect with peers living in similar circumstances.

Sometimes a child will express fear or misunderstanding about their sibling’s health, treatment, or injury while visiting the Panda Cares Center of Hope Sibling Support Center or any of Cook Children’s sibling support programs. For example, if a child has experienced a pet being “put to sleep” they sometimes correlate that term with death, and may think their brother or sister is going to die because they are having a procedure where they will be put to sleep.

“When we hear those things we’ll be able to share that with their parents and connect all of them with a Child Life specialist that can help explain what the procedure is, what's really going to happen medically, and what all the terminology means in good, child-appropriate language that they understand,” Trussell said.

Together, all of these programs and services connect the dots of family-centered care at Cook Children’s.

The Panda Cares Center of Hope Sibling Support Center at Cook Children’s is made possible through the support of Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of the Asian dining concept Panda Express®, and its partnership with Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), of which Cook Children's is a member. Following a multimillion-dollar commitment to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to fund Panda Cares Centers of Hope, Panda and CMN Hospitals have debuted Center of Hope locations at several hospitals in the U.S. from California and Texas to Hawaii and Washington D.C.

The Panda Cares Center of Hope Sibling Support Center at Cook Children’s is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to siblings, ages 3 to 11, of patients who have a clinic appointment. Children may attend the center for 90 minutes per visit. It is free to families. Reservations are not required but parents will be asked to complete a registration and consent form. 

Megan Chavez realizes that even in the best of circumstances parking often feels overwhelming. As system vice president of Cook Children’s Experience, Chavez strives to see every step of the hospital visit through the patient families’ eyes.

“Some of these families are planning for long days at multiple specialist appointments,” Chavez said. “Many of them are bringing equipment and siblings along with them, in addition to other things they are inherently worrying about. For the families to know exactly where to go and experience a smooth parking process is very important to us.”

The Patient and Family Experience team coordinated family advisory groups which allowed the team at Cook Children’s to understand their needs when designing the new P1 Parking Garage located at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. Cindi Coker who has brought her son Clayton to the hospital for 20 years, said parking is critically important and affects every aspect of the experience.

“The patient experience starts before leaving the house,” Coker said. “With Clayton’s complex care needs, we bring oxygen, suction, heart rate monitors and more. More than likely, I have already experienced multiple problems before getting into our van and I am stressed. An efficient parking process makes all the difference.”

Coker worked with Security to provide input on the layout and design of the handicapped spaces. Special attention was given to the amount of handicapped and van-accessible spaces with 10 handicapped and 22 van-accessible spaces throughout the garage. Wide elevators accommodate wheelchairs and strollers.

As patient families enter the eight-level garage with 822 parking spaces, an advanced guidance system with red and green lighting shows them where to park. Parking is complimentary and each level also has a count of how many total spaces are available. Wider lanes and spaces allow for larger vehicles to easily navigate the garage. Electric vehicles have access to dedicated charging stations.

Not only was logistics top of mind when designing the new garage, but how it looked was a priority as well.

“It’s not often you can comment on the aesthetics of a garage,” said Spencer Seals, vice president of Construction, Real Estate and Facility Planning. “This is the prettiest garage in Texas.”

“I hope when the families drive into the parking garage their experience shows them how much we value their comfort,” Chavez said. “Our goal is to always see the world through their eyes so the focus can remain on what is most important – the care of their child.”

View a detailed campus map here.

The newly constructed expansion to the Dodson Specialty Clinics opens its doors Monday, March 20. This 240,000-square-foot expansion adds more space for patient families and providers and brings six additional specialties together under one roof.

On March 20, the Dodson Surgery Center, Dodson Central Registration and Dodson Sterile Processing will move. Periodically through June, other specialty clinics will move to new locations in Dodson Specialty Clinics.

When patient families walk through the doors of the newly expanded Dodson Specialty Clinics, Stan Davis, Chief Operating Officer of Cook Children’s Medical Center, hopes they feel valued.

“Most of the patients who come here have repeating needs and we are building a lifelong relationship with them and their families,” Davis said.  “After many focus groups to understand our patient families’ desires and needs for this space, I hope they feel that we heard them.”

Cindi Coker who has been visiting Cook Children’s for 20 years, already feels heard. Cindi’s son, Clayton, has complex medical needs so she knows firsthand the features that make visits to the hospital easier for patient families. From working with Security on the handicapped parking layout to advocating for a café and companion care restrooms for the older kids, Cindi has provided invaluable input.  

“It speaks volumes that Cook Children’s is taking the patient experience to the next level,” Cindi said. “It means a lot to us.”

Veronica Tolley, vice president of Primary and Specialty Services at Cook Children’s, is looking forward to watching the patient families enjoy the new features. “The feedback we’ve heard for years is coming to life and will be evident in their experience,” Tolley said. 

All Services Under One Roof

A lack of space for new practices on campus matched with the exponential growth of physicians, teams and patients led to the vision of the expanded Dodson Specialty Clinics.

“Many subspecialty groups came into existence after the original Dodson space was built,” Tolley said. “This building is a testament to not only adding new services but every existing service growing.”

Now all services will be under one roof – a welcome improvement for many patient families such as those who visit Urology. Instead of having to park twice and walk across an intersection in one day, families will now access Urology and Radiology in the same building. 

Spencer Seals, vice president of Construction, Real Estate and Facility Planning, has been involved with every aspect of planning since its inception. 

“There is nothing more frustrating to a patient family than to go different places for services,” Seals said. “That is the reality for the vast majority of our families and now with a consolidation of clinics in a hub, they will have everything they need.”

Not only were patient families surveyed but employees, too. A survey of staff asked them about top priorities which resulted in features such as food options and access to natural light.

Seeing the Building Through a Patient’s Eyes

Kim Arnold, space utilization and transition manager, led the team that collaborated with Patient Family Services to simulate the patient experience throughout Dodson Specialty Clinics from beginning to end. Patient families walked into the building and interacted with staff just as they would on a typical visit.

“The transition and patient simulations are focused on getting in front of and being prepared for change,” Arnold said. “Executing over 90 simulations helped us understand what it feels like to navigate this new building through a patient family’s eyes. We are transitioning existing and new clinics and services each week within the Dodson footprint. This is a steady change and staff is working diligently to be ready. Their involvement in the simulations was essential for success.” 

The unique features of Dodson will include highlights such as a state-of-the-art parking garage with an advanced guidance system and many upgrades; Peaks Tech Zone where patients and families will learn how to use new medical equipment and sync their Cook Children’s apps; the Dodson Pharmacy for families to pick up prescriptions and staff members to purchase over the counter medications; an outpatient lab conveniently located on the first floor; Jane and John Justin Institute for Mind Health at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth involving nine brain-related specialties on one floor and a Complex Care Clinic. Companion care restrooms are also available in the common areas on every floor. It doesn’t stop there. Extra space has been allocated for future programs.

“Our desire is that patients don’t have to go elsewhere to get care,” Davis said. “We are already planning for future growth.”

Not Just Another Building

For Seals who has three kids of his own, making the hospital experience an enjoyable one has always been top of mind.

“How the kids and families feel permeates everything we do,” Seals said. “I hope they see the fun in all of it and feel that the care is second to none. World-class care starts with world-class spaces and it’s my job to connect those by giving our employees the right type of space and tools to do what they do best.”

All of the child-friendly features throughout the building help kids to engage and decrease stress and anxiety. Spencer said as kids are more comfortable, parents feel that way too and it creates a better healing environment.

Stephanie Tunell couldn’t agree more. Two of her children are patients at Cook Children’s and her youngest who was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and a variant of DiGeorge Syndrome visits 10 different clinics.

“The new building is so bright and whimsical,” Tunell said. “I know children will be excited to experience the castle atmosphere and find all of the hidden gems as they journey through the building.”

“The new space is a reflection of our Promise – everything for the child,” Davis said. “It’s not about another building; it’s about being there for the children.”

A Champion for Children

The Dodson Specialty Clinics Expansion would not be possible without Clarabele “Pit” Dodson and her late husband T.L. Dodson Jr. whose generous gift built the original Dodson building. Pit learned the art of giving from her parents, who instilled in her the importance of taking care of others from an early age. 

A 1989 tour of Cook Children’s ignited the couple’s passion for the health care system. Together they began pouring their time, love and generosity into the organization. 

“When you think about the generosity of Pit Dodson, you have to think about all the kids she’s helped up to this point but also the generations of kids in the future,” Stan Davis said. “Yes, Pit has given us so much through her generous donations, but just as importantly Pit has given us her time and her heart. She’s a part of Cook Children’s that will last forever.”

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