Videos

Summer in Texas brings soaring temperatures, outdoor fun—and the need for extra hydration, especially for kids. But what if your child isn’t a fan of drinking water? Fortunately, there are easy and creative ways to help keep your little ones hydrated all summer long. 

1. Make Water Fun and Accessible: Sometimes, it’s all about presentation. Let your child pick out a fun new water bottle—one they’ll want to drink from. Add some excitement by freezing fresh fruit into ice cubes or making homemade popsicles with ingredients like coconut water and berries.
2. Add Hydrating Fruits and Veggies: Foods like watermelon, oranges, cucumbers, and lemons pack a hydration punch. Incorporate these into snacks or infuse them into water for added flavor and appeal.
3. Be a Role Model: Kids mimic what they see. Drinking water regularly in front of your child makes it more likely they’ll follow suit. Set the example by keeping your own water bottle handy and taking regular sips throughout the day.
4. Limit Sugary Drinks: Juice, soda, sweet tea, and even lemonade might seem refreshing, but they can contribute to dehydration. Limiting these beverages supports better hydration and overall health.

Proper hydration supports your child’s energy, mood, and physical well-being. By building these simple habits into your family’s routine, you’ll help ensure your kids stay healthy and refreshed all summer long.

For more information on children's health and wellness measures --including care options -- visit the UTMB Health Pediatrics page.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, UTMB Health's Dr. Kim Gushanas sat down with Houston Moms for a heartfelt discussion about grief, mourning and how to speak about death of loved ones to your children. 

To learn more, watch the full discussion.

 

 

UTMB Health's Dr. Melissa DeFilippis, psychiatrist and director of the Child and Adolescent Psychology Division, sat down with Houston Moms host Meagan Clanahan for an in-depth discussion about what it means to have autism, recognizing signs that your child may have autism, available treatments, and how you can find support as a parent of a child with autism.

To learn more, watch the full discussion.

 

Dr. DeFilippis serves as the Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division, as well as directs and supervises the Developmental Disorders clinic, assessing and treating patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders. 

On March 10, the University of Texas Medical Branch Pediatric and Adult Primary Care Clinic in Friendswood will open its doors at a new location at 1715 S. Friendswood Dr., Friendswood.

Although this new space will be less than a half mile away from the current location, what patients will find in the new building will be quite different.

“We're expanding to not only have Primary Care, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, as we currently do, but to also include Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Neurology and Orthopedics specialties as well,” said Stephenie Pharr, director of Ambulatory Operations at UTMB. “We're also increasing the access for existing imaging services such as X-rays and ultrasounds.”

In addition to these changes, the new clinic also include an on-site pharmacy so that patients can walk out potentially the same day as their appointments with the treatments they need.

In the community for more than two decades, the care teams within the current clinic have watched the area they serve grow, so they're excited to be increasing the services available to this population.

“I'm so excited about the changes coming for this community,” said Dr. Carolyn “Becky” Risinger, UTMB physician, clinical associate professor and medical director for the clinic. “Having more service options also means added expertise as we enhance our multidisciplinary team approach. We're already a strong unit from the doctors and nurses you see to the medical assistants and patient service specialists on board, we all work together to provide the best possible care to every patient every time.”

For clinic-specific questions, contact the team on site directly at (281) 482-5695.

Dr. Carolyn "Becky" Risinger is a physician, clinical associate professor and the medical director of the new clinic.

At the University of Texas Medical Branch's John Sealy Hospital in Galveston, an innovative program offers young, long-term patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) a unique creative outlet.

This initiative, which was originally started by the late Janis Matthews, former UTMB Child Life Director, children can design and create ceiling tiles that are later placed throughout the hallways of the unit, creating a comforting environment for past, current, and future patients.  Nurse manager Emily Nicoletti and certified child life coordinator Lizette Perez now lead the effort. 

For children facing extended hospital stays, the experience can be emotionally taxing. Allowing them to personalize ceiling tiles offers them a sense of control, self-expression, and accomplishment. Each ceiling tile becomes a personal story for the child with themes focusing on Galveston's beaches, aquatic life, or popular children's characters. These tiles bring bursts of color and joy to a traditionally intimidating environment for younger patients.

The ceiling tile art not only provides therapeutic benefits for the patients but also offers comfort to others, who gaze up at the inspiring artwork during difficult moments. These small but meaningful changes in the hospital environment emphasize the healing power of creativity, community, and empathy in pediatric care, showing that medicine is not only about treatments, but also about creating spaces where young patients feel seen, supported, and comforted.

Thorough communication, patient care, patience and support helped Cam Blackwell make a full recovery after injuring her ankle while practicing with her softball team during her senior year of high school. Dr. John Hagedorn, associate professor and surgeon with the Orthopedic Trauma team, was the lead on Cam's case and ensured he did everything he could to help heal her injury and keep her mother, Lori Blackwell, completely informed and in the loop as things progressed.

To learn more, watch the full discussion.

To learn more, watch the full discussion.

To learn more, watch the full discussion.