“This is an incredible achievement and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to providing the very best service to our more than 160,000 members,” said Karen Love, president of Cook Children’s Health Plan. “This recognition from NCQA distinguishes us as a premier provider with the continuous goal of keeping our members engaged in improving their health.”

In order to receive NCQA accreditation, health plans must support care that keeps members at optimum levels of health while also controlling costs and meeting government and purchaser requirements. NCQA standards are a roadmap for improvement—organizations use them to perform a gap analysis and align improvement activities with areas that are most important to states and employers, such as network adequacy and consumer protection.

Standards evaluate plans on:

• Quality Management and Improvement.
• Population Health Management.
• Network Management.
• Utilization Management.
• Credentialing and Recredentialing.
• Members’ Rights and Responsibilities.
• Member Connections.
• Medicaid Benefits and Services.

NCQA standards also provide a framework for improving key health plan performance in care coordination, access and member connections, availability of health resources such as wellness services and self-management tools for chronic disease management. NCQA is the most widely-recognized accreditation program in the United States and most comprehensive evaluation in the industry.

About Cook Children’s

Cook Children’s Health Care System embraces an inspiring Promise – to improve the health of every child through the prevention and treatment of illness, disease and injury. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, we’re proud of our long and rich tradition of serving our community.

Our not-for-profit organization encompasses nine companies – a medical center, two surgery centers, a physician network, home health services and a health plan. It also includes Child Study Center at Cook Children's, Cook Children's Health Services Inc., and Cook Children's Health Foundation. With more than 60 primary, specialty and urgent care locations throughout Texas, families can access our top-ranked specialty programs and network of services to meet their unique needs.

We’ve worked to improve the health of children from across our primary service area of Denton, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties for more than 100 years. Based on the exceptional care we provide, patients travel to Cook Children’s from around the country and the globe to receive life-saving pediatric care built on leading technology, extraordinary collaboration and the art of caring.

For more information, visit cookchildrens.org and cookchp.org.

Seizures aren’t as uncommon as one might think. In fact, one in 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. Apply that statistic to a typical school classroom, church, workplace or family gathering, and it’s likely that at least one individual you know or love may have seizures.

Because a seizure can occur any time, anywhere, without any warning at all, it’s important for those with epilepsy to have an action plan for emergency seizure response, and for those close to them to be familiar with that plan. Seizure Action Plan Awareness Week, which kicks off Monday, Feb. 8, in conjunction with International Epilepsy Day, aims to demystify seizure disorders and arm those who live, work and spend time with someone with epilepsy with the information they need to help during a seizure emergency.

“Having a seizure action plan helps those close to you know how to best protect you from injury during a seizure, gives direction on the most appropriate medical response or rescue therapy and provides important information to first responders about your seizure type and medical condition,” said M. Scott Perry, M.D., epileptologist and medical director of neurology and the Genetic Epilepsy Clinic at Cook Children’s Medical Center. “These situations are often high-stress, so being prepared with a clear and precise plan will help you and those who love you confidently and successfully manage your epilepsy.”

Make A Plan

Some seizures, especially those that are prolonged or occur in clusters, can be life-threatening. Having a plan that dictates accurate intervention reduces response times, and decreases the risk of death and the need for additional rescue medications, according to the Seizure Action Plan Coalition.

A good plan includes tailored guidelines specific to the individual’s seizure type, medical circumstances and needs. It clearly and concisely organizes all of this vital information into a document that can be put into the hands of loved ones, friends, co-workers and caregivers so they are prepared to respond in the event of a seizure.

Components of a seizure action plan should include:

• Information about your seizure type.
• How one should respond to your seizures to help protect you from injury and get you the appropriate medical assistance.
• When to use rescue therapy medications, their names and dosing information.
• The type of help you need following a seizure and special instructions for first responders.
• A list of seizure triggers and other important information about your condition.
• Emergency contacts.

Parents of children with epilepsy should have a plan for their child. Anywhere the child frequents—be it school, church, sports activities or camp—should have a copy and teachers, school nurses, coaches and counselors should be familiar with your child’s plan. Experts say it’s important to include children in the planning process to help them feel more confident and secure that they’ll get the help they need when a seizure occurs.

“Seizure action plans are so useful for our families,” said Aubrey Esparza, neurosciences clinical nurse leader at Cook Children’s Medical Center. “They give them a guide on the best plan of action during those emergency situations when you really need a step-by-step approach to provide the safest care so that the patient has the best possible outcome.”

Enhancing Action Plan Efficiency

Esparza is spearheading an effort at Cook Children’s to improve the process of developing, accessing and updating seizure action plans for patients. Currently, paper plans are scanned into a patient’s electronic medical record making them difficult for clinicians to electronically search, track, edit and update. In some cases, there may be multiple copies—some outdated—in different places within a single chart. Working together with Esparza, a multidisciplinary team of nurses, physicians and IT professionals are developing a digital tool for building a seizure action plan directly within a patient’s electronic medical record.

The digital enhancement would mean patients’ action plans would be located in a dedicated space within the medical record and allow clinicians to easily search and update electronically. The tool will alert health care providers when it’s time for a patient’s annual action plan update, ensuring that patient caregivers have the most up-to-date rescue instructions at their fingertips. The plan can be printed for use at home, school or other places the patient frequents. The electronic seizure action plan tool will launch in 2021.

“The thing parents report most frequently about seizure action plans is that they have increased confidence in being able to manage their child’s seizures at home because they have clear-cut instructions on what to do when that seizure occurs,” Esparza said. “It helps them know when to be concerned, when to give medication and when to call 911.”

Information about Seizure Action Plan Awareness Week and the Seizure Action Plan Coalition, along with tips and tools for creating a personalized plan, can be found at seizureactionplans.org. The Epilepsy Foundation also provides helpful resources about aiding someone having a seizure at First Aid for Seizures Procedure.

Log on to cookchildrens.org to learn more about Cook Children’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, recognized by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers as a level 4 epilepsy center providing the highest level of care for patients with complex epilepsy.

According to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Monday, the deputy violated the rights of two children when he shackled the kids around their biceps in the fall of 2014. The boy and a 9-year-old girl had both been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The lawsuit alleges that both children were being punished for behavior related to their disabilities.

ADHD is a common challenge in classrooms across the country. So what should parents and teachers do to prevent a child from becoming too unruly to handle? Lena Zettler, director of Psychology at Cook Children’s, suggests the following:

• Have a plan
• Have a team
• Have an advocate

“What are the steps that will be taken and who are the key people involved? These things should be understood before an emergency happens,” Zettler said. She says it’s important to remember that kids with ADHD most likely aren’t acting up for attention.

“Education is the first step for treatment for ADHD. It’s is a neuro-developmental disorder. It is not a disorder of bad parenting,” says Zettler.

Students with disabilities make up 12 percent of the student population nationally. According to the U.S. Department of Education, they account for 75 percent of the students who are physically restrained by adults in their schools. To prevent such drastic measures from being taken, parents who have a child with ADHD should have a conversation with their child’s teacher about the condition before the school year begins.

Together, parents and school officials need to put a team in place to assist in the child’s education and plan out what will happen when the child acts out.

Parents and school officials also need to designate an advocate, someone the child can turn to for help. The advocate could be an assistant teacher, a counselor or even a principal. By putting a team together and a plan in place, parents can help ensure ADHD children and their classmates get the most out of the school year.

“Taking these steps will not only benefit a child with ADHD, they will help the entire class,” says Zettler.

We cannot give into fear. We need to be prepared. Know the signs. Have a plan.

Before the storms even start it is important that you have a plan for your family’s safety.

You need to pick a safe room in your home where your family can gather. The safest place is a basement or storm cellar but these are pretty rare in North Texas so you need to pick an interior space in your house on the bottom floor like a closet, bathroom or hallway where there are no windows. You want to put as many walls between you and the storm. The biggest source of injury in a tornado occur from being struck with flying debris so if you can pull a mattress into your shelter space or cover with heavy blankets or sleeping bags you will increase your protection. Contrary to popular belief you do not have to pick an area in the southwest corner of your house. Just pick the safest area in your house. Also you do not have to open or crack windows to equalize the pressure in your house. You are just increasing your risk of getting hit by flying debris.

If you live in a mobile home get out! People are 15 times more likely to die in a mobile home than any other location. Try to take shelter in a permanent structure if you can. As a last resort if you cannot find a permanent structure for shelter then go to a low lying area like a ditch and cover your head.

If you are at work, take shelter in an interior room, stairwell, or bathroom on the first floor and away from windows. Your office should have an inclement weather plan and remind employees of it twice a year.

If your child is at school they will be instructed to follow the school’s tornado plan. Schools will go on lockdown mode and move the children to the safest area possible. Follow your school’s tornado and inclement weather plan. It is the best way to ensure your child’s safety as well as your own. Your child has gone through numerous safety drills at school and knows to follow the schools plan. Reassure them that this is the safest thing to do. Remind your children to follow what their teachers have taught them. The best way to reassure your child is to help them understand the importance of following the direction of the adults who are caring for them.

If you are outside, try to find shelter in a permanent location. If you cannot find structural shelter get in a low lying area and cover your head with your hands and arms. Try to pick a spot away from trees and other potential projectiles.

If you are in your car and cannot get to a structural shelter, the American Red Cross recommends staying in your car. They recommend pulling off the road. Leave your seat belt on and crouch down away from the windows. Try to cover your face and head with a coat or blanket is possible. They do not recommend trying to take shelter under an overpass or bridge. Do not try to flee a tornado that is moving toward you. They also note if your car is near a low-lying ditch or culvert it may be safer to leave your vehicle and get to the lowest point possible. Always remember to cover your head with your hands and arms.

It is important to know the difference between a TORNADO WATCH and a TORNADO WARNING.

TORNADO WATCHThis means that the conditions are present that make a tornado possible over the next several hours. This does not mean a tornado is about to occur. It is a caution to be vigilant as you go through your day.

TORNADO WARNING

This means an actual tornado has been spotted or that meteorologists have picked up rotation on their Doppler radar. Your city’s safety alert siren will sound if a tornado warning is occurring. This is a sign to go to your safe area.

I highly recommend you get the American Red Cross app for your phone. This is a free app that will alert you if a TORNADO WARNING is occurring in your area. It also has excellent tips about tornado preparedness and the ability to set up a blast message you can send to friends and family to let them know that you are safe. It will send the message via email, Message, Twitter, and Facebook.

It is a good idea to create an emergency- preparedness kit. The American Red Cross recommends you include the following basics:

• Water – at least a 3-day supply. One gallon per person per day.
• Food – at least a 3 day supply of nonperishable easy to prepare food
• Flashlight with batteries
• Battery powered or hand crank radio
• First aid kit
• 7 day supply of all necessary medications
• Copies of personal documents
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra set of clothing and study shoes
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items

You have a Plan.You know the signs. Be safe. Have Faith.

Sandra C. Peak, M.D.

Learn what you shouldn't do during a tornado here.