Press Releases

11/13/2024

Growing Together: Cook Children’s Unveils Plan to Expand Critical Care to Meet Community Demand
Fort Worth, Texas – As Fort Worth continues to experience rapid growth, the demand for specialized pediatric care has increased significantly. To address this need, Cook Children’s is preparing to embark on a 10-year master plan, beginning with the construction of a new 700,000-square-foot medical tower, referred to as the West Tower. This plan will allow for a new and improved PediatricIntensive Care Unit (PICU), an expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), as well as additional capacity for Hematology/Oncology services, operating rooms, and imaging services.

10/8/2024

Cook Children's Delivers Exceptional Care: Seven Specialties Ranked Among Top 50 by U.S. News & World Report
Fort Worth, Texas – Cook Children's Health Care System is proud to announce that seven of its specialty programs have been ranked among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-2025 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.

6/26/24

Cook Children's Health Plan Files Suit to Protect Local Families
Fort Worth, Texas - Cook Children's Health Plan today announced it is taking legal action to stop the flawed process that led to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) taking away Cook Children's longstanding contract administering Medicaid to local families.

6/6/24

Cook Children's Lead Neurosciences Researcher Addresses Congress Members on Capitol Hill
Fort Worth, Texas (June 6, 2024) – Cook Children's is proud to announce that Christos Papadelis, Ph.D., is one of many scientists addressing U.S. Congress members this week about current treatments for neurological and psychological disorders.

2/12/2024

History in the Making: Cook Children's Secures Large NIH Grant to Enhance Pediatric Epilepsy Diagnosis
Fort Worth, Texas (Feb. 12, 2024) - For the first time in its 105-year history, Cook Children's Medical Center is the recipient of and primary institution for a $2.3 million research project grant, known as an R01, by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

1/11/2024

Cook Children's Awarded Two Honors for Excellence in Patient Care
Fort Worth, Texas (January 11, 2024) — Cook Children's is honored to receive two important awards, showcasing our dedication to providing excellent patient care. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) has been presented with the Silver Beacon Award for Excellence by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), while the institution as a whole has earned the 2023 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award® for outstanding dedication to patient experience.

6/21/2023

U.S. News and World Report Names Five Cook Children's Specialty Programs Among Top in the Country
Fort Worth, Texas (June 21, 2023) – Cook Children's Health Care System has once again been recognized as one of the best children's hospitals in the nation, earning five rankings in the U.S. News & World Report's Best Children's Hospitals list for 2023-2024.

5/23/2023

Cook Children's and JPS Partner to Build New Health Care Center in Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood
Fort Worth, Texas - In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Cook Children's Health Care System and JPS Health Network are joining forces to bring critical health care services to children and families in the Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood.

2/15/2023

Major Scientific Discovery from Cook Children's Neuroscience Research Center
Fort Worth, Texas - Groundbreaking research at Cook Children's Health Care System could help doctors around the globe precisely identify which part of the brain is causing seizures in children with epilepsy. The Neurosciences Research Center at Cook Children's, which is led by Professor Christos Papadelis, Ph.D., successfully demonstrated how noninvasive techniques and advanced computer modeling could be used to measure the electric and magnetic signals generated by the neural cells in the brain. Through this work, the team identified functional networks responsible for generating seizures in the brains of children with epilepsy.

1/25/2023

Cook Children's Medical Center Performed Its First-Ever Separation Surgery for Conjoined Twins
Fort Worth, Texas – Cook Children's Medical Center is pleased to announce that the hospital has successfully performed its first-ever separation surgery for conjoined twin sisters AmieLynn Rose and JamieLynn Rae Finley of Fort Worth, Texas. The 11-hour long surgery took place on Monday, Jan. 23, at Cook Children's. A team of 25 medical professionals, including 6 surgeons, carefully performed this historic surgery, while parents Amanda Arciniega and James Finley patiently waited for news of their separation. While still very early, both AmieLynn and JamieLynn are recovering well.

11/17/2022

Cook Children's to Unveil New Medical Center in Prosper, Blending Technology with Moments of Magic
Prosper, Texas - Following several years of anticipation, Cook Children's Health Care System is ready to unveil its new pediatric hospital in Prosper with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. Cook Children's Medical Center – Prosper is located at 4100 University Drive, which is part of a 23-acre campus at Windsong Parkway and Highway 380.

09/01/2022

Cook Children's Joins Partnership to Enhance Neonatal Care in West Texas
Midland, Texas – Cook Children's Health Care System is collaborating with Covenant Children's Hospital and Pediatrix Medical Group to expand access to neonatal care at Midland Memorial Hospital (MMH).

06/14/2022

U.S. News and World Report Names Six Cook Children's Specialty Programs among Top in the Country
Cook Children's Health Care System has successfully achieved six rankings in the U.S. News and World Report's Best Children's Hospital list for 2022-2023. This is an impressive and exciting jump from 2021 when Cook Children's ranked nationally in two specialty categories.

10/20/2021

Cook Children's Opens ‘Peaks Tech Zone' at New Campus in Prosper
Cook Children's is making access to health care technology assistance a key priority for patients and families at its new Prosper campus. The health care system recently unveiled ‘Peaks Tech Zone,' which is the first pediatric tech zone in the region.

10/11/2021

'Topping Out' Event Marks Milestone at Cook Children's Medical Center – Prosper
The last beam is in place at Cook Children's Medical Center – Prosper, commencing the countdown for a grand opening in 2022. The pediatric health care system shared a ‘topping out' video with the community to celebrate the much-anticipated milestone.

9/8/2021

Cook Children's Health Plan Receives Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance
Cook Children's Health Plan has received its first-ever accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). This coveted award represents service and clinical quality that meet or exceed NCQA's rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement.

8/11/2021

Cook Children's Increases Minimum Wage to $16 Per Hour
Cook Children's Health Care System announced today it's raising the minimum wage for its workforce to $16 per hour, up from $13.25. The new minimum wage takes effect on Oct. 10 and directly impacts approximately 630 employees. This is the second time Cook Children's has increased its base pay in the past 18 months.

8/4/2021

Cook Children's Requires COVID-19 Vaccination for Workforce
Cook Children's Health Care System announced today it is instituting a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. Every Cook Children's employee, physician, provider, credentialed staff, student, volunteer, contractor and on-site vendor will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by noon on Sept. 27.

7/26/2021

Cook Children's Health Care System Names First Surgeon-in-Chief
Eric Hubli, M.D., FACS, FAAP, is officially the first person to hold the title 'Surgeon-in-Chief' at Cook Children's Health Care System. In his new role, Dr. Hubli will act as the presiding administrative leader over all surgery and procedure-related matters. Dr. Hubli leads the Pediatric Plastic Surgery program, specializing in craniofacial and cleft surgery, at the health care system.

7/19/2021

Cook Children's Hyperinsulinism Center Named a Center of Excellence
Cook Children's Health Care System is proud to announce its Hyperinsulinism Center is now one of six Hyperinsulinism Centers of Excellence in the world. The designation, awarded by Congenital Hyperinsulinism International, recognizes centers that provide the highest level of multi-disciplinary care to congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) patients and their families.

7/12/2021

Cook Children's Emergency Department Recognized for Exceptional and Innovative Performance by the Emergency Nurses Association
Cook Children's Health Care System is among 33 hospitals in the world to receive the coveted Lantern Award from the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). The group recognized Cook Children's Emergency Department (ED) for demonstrating exceptional and innovative performance through leadership, practices, education, advocacy and research.

7/01/2021

Cook Children's Releases New Drowning Prevention PSAs Ahead of Fourth of July Weekend
Cook Children's Health Care System is releasing a series of drowning prevention PSA videos ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. The videos, which are part of the Lifeguard Your Child initiative, feature simulations of some of the most common drowning scenarios we see, including children falling into swimming pools unnoticed and teens drowning in open water.

6/15/2021

Cook Children's Physician Network Names New President
Cook Children's Physician Network (CCPN) is pleased to announce the appointment of its new president, Matthew Dzurik, M.D. Throughout his 14 years at Cook Children's, Dr. Dzurik has proven himself as a leader. He is the medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and has served on the CCPN Board of Directors since 2017.

3/4/2021

Cook Children's Medical Center Changes Visitation Policy
Beginning at 5 a.m. on Monday, March 8, the visitation policy will change, allowing two primary caregivers inside the medical center per admitted patient.

2/22/2021

Cook Children's Receives Fourth Consecutive Magnet® Designation for Nursing Excellence
Cook Children's Medical Center achieved its fourth consecutive Magnet® designation from the American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC), making it one of only 10 freestanding children's hospitals in the world to receive this prestigious recognition four times in a row.

12/17/2020

Cook Children's Administers First Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine
Thirty frontline workers are the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Cook Children's. Just hours after the shipment arrived, Cook Children's employees were given the vaccine, with the first two groups of 10 getting the shot at the same time. The initial recipients included doctors and nurses who work with COVID-19 patients, as well as employees who may be in close contact with patients and families such as environmental service workers, members of Cook Children's Teddy Bear Transport Team, security, lab, and food and nutrition employees.

12/15/2020

Cook Children's and Texas A&M School of Law Form Partnership to Provide Free Legal Services to Patient Families in Need
As part of an ongoing pursuit to improve the health of every child, Cook Children's Health Care System is joining forces with Texas A&M School of Law (TAMU Law) to create a new medical-legal partnership. The mission of this collaboration is to provide free legal services to patients and families with legal needs that directly affect their health and access to medical care.

12/8/2020

Cook Children's Medical Center Earns 2020 Leapfrog Top Hospital Award for Outstanding Quality and Safety
Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, Cook Children's Medical Center was named a Top Children's Hospital nationally by The Leapfrog Group. Announced today, the Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive.

11/12/2020

Cook Children's Medical Center to Restrict Inpatient Visitation Beginning Monday
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 patient inside the medical center. Siblings and other visitors will not be allowed. This rule was in place from March through Oct. 1. Due to substantial community spread of the virus, we are reverting to this policy.

9/16/2020

Cook Children's Delivers Reliable Pediatric Health Information to Spanish Speakers with Launch of New Online Newsroom
In an effort to make trustworthy pediatric health information more accessible to the Hispanic community, Cook Children's Health Care System is expanding its online newsroom, Checkup Newsroom. For more than six years, Cook Children's experts have delivered credible content through Checkup Newsroom, reaching more than 16 million people in 230 countries. Now, Checkup Newsroom En Español will serve as a reliable information source for Spanish speakers.

8/10/2020

Cook Children's Hires Organization's First Chief Diversity Officer
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.

7/23/2020

Cook Children's Becomes First Pediatric Hospital to Receive Full Accreditation through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare
Cook Children's is now the first freestanding children's hospital in the world to receive full accreditation through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), which aims to enhance the quality of health care through simulation education.

6/01/2020

Official Statement from Cook Children's Regarding Racial Bias
Cook Children's believes in a culture of inclusiveness and diversity. We encourage empathy and understanding of how others feel and guidance for issues we don't fully understand.

3/13/2020

Cook Children's Medical Center to Change Visitation Policy Starting Monday in Response to COVID-19 Threat
Due to concerns regarding COVID-19, Cook Children's Medical Center is enacting a new visitation policy to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus on campus. Beginning Monday, March 16, a maximum of two primary caregivers will be allowed per patient inside Cook Children's Medical Center. Siblings and other visitors will not be allowed.

3/10/2020

Cook Children's Prepares for COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
As cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) continue to emerge, Cook Children's Health Care System is closely monitoring the outbreak and taking all necessary precautions. The good news is, based on confirmed cases of COVID-19 from around the world, children have been relatively protected from serious illness.

2/11/2020

Cook Children's Verified as First Level I Children's Surgery Center in North Texas
Cook Children's Medical Center has been verified as a Level I Children's Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons Children's Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program (ACS CSV). This verification is a first for North Texas and makes Cook Children's one of the few hospitals in the State of Texas to hold this distinction.

1/21/2020

Cook Children's Raising Its Minimum Wage To $13.25 Effective Feb. 2, 2020
The minimum wage at Cook Children's Health Care System (CCHCS) has been raised to $13.25 per hour, significantly above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

10/16/2019

Cook Children's Opens New Location in Town of Prosper with Family-Friendly Fall Festival
Cook Children's Health Care System is celebrating the grand opening of its new pediatric and urgent care clinic in the Town of Prosper. On Oct. 26, the public is invited to attend a ‘Fall Fest' from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Guests can take a tour of the new 18-room facility and meet physicians and staff. There will also be games, activities and food available.

05/31/2019

Cook Children's Receives Verification as Level II Trauma Center
The trauma center at Cook Children's Medical Center has been verified, once again, as a Level II Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes the trauma center's dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients.

04/01/2019

Cook Children's Hires Chief Institutional Investment Officer
We are pleased to announce that after a months-long search, Cook Children's Health Care System has filled the position for Chief Institutional Investment Officer (CIO). Tony Bagwell of Columbia Investment Management Company in New York City will join our organization in April as Senior Vice President, CIO at Cook Children's.

12/01/2018

Don't Fall for Fake Solicitations for Cook Children's
With the holiday season fast approaching, Cook Children's wants to make sure you aren't scammed by fraudulent fundraising activity. Please know that Cook Children's never solicits donor support door-to-door nor do we sanction door-to-door solicitations on our behalf.

11/20/2018

Cook Children's to Expand in West Fort Worth with New Urgent Care and Orthopedic Location
Construction on a new pediatric care facility from Cook Children's Health Care System is underway in far west Fort Worth. The first phase of major facility development near Walsh community expected to open in Fall 2019.

10/01/2018

Cook Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Receives Level IV Designation from the State of Texas
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Cook Children's Medical Center is the first NICU in North Texas to be recognized as a Level IV center, meaning it can provide the highest level of neonatal care to critically-ill infants. The designation was made by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in response to House Bill 15 of the 83rd Texas Legislature.

06/29/2018

Cook Children's Moves to Larger, High-Tech Clinic in Abilene
New specialty services offered for children and adults, telemedicine appointments expanded. After 34 years of serving children and families in Abilene, Cook Children's is expanding its footprint and offering more specialty services to help keep patients close to home.

05/20/2018

Cook Children's Urges Parents to #LifeguardYourChild with Powerful Video
Three families devastated by drowning are the subject of a new video released by Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth. The video, published on the hospital's social media pages this week, is part of the 'Lifeguard Your Child' campaign which urges parents, grandparents and caretakers to protect children and teens around water.

03/22/2018

NeoHeart 2018: Cardiovascular Management of the Neonate
Cook Children's Health Care System, in collaboration with the Neonatal Heart Society, will host NeoHeart 2018 at The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. This international conference runs March 22-24 and will provide a platform for neonatal and cardiac practitioners to discuss the latest approaches in the management of neonates with congenital heart disease.

03/21/2018

Cook Children's Northeast Hospital in Hurst Transitions to Surgical and Urgent Care Center
Cook Children's Northeast Hospital will be closed March 21-22 as the facility undergoes transition to a new service model. In late 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memo defining the overnight census requirement to operate as a hospital.

03/01/2018

Cook Children's Launches New Electronic Health Record System
Cook Children's Health Care System recently became the latest healthcare organization to go live on Epic. After 18 months of preparation, Cook Children's officially rolled out the new electronic health record system on March 1.

Media contact:

Kim Brown
Media relations specialist
682-885-1080 work
817-266-3728 cell
Kim.Brown3@cookchildrens.org