Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/1162476
t m c » p u l s e | s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 9 13 Harvey. We were pretty much isolated for 72 hours, but none of the kids through that period of time missed an appointment or a treat- ment. The ones that were still here, we were able to help. We were also super-fortunate to finish construc- tion on time and under budget. Q | Have those successes influ- enced your ambition for Ronald McDonald House Houston? A | With our board, staff and volunteers, I have learned that we can walk and chew gum at the same time. We were totally operational in the middle of a construction project and a major hurricane. We are changing our advancement model to feed the beast with 40 percent more capacity. As we look at our new normal serving more families and children, I feel confident that we are going to do the operational things better than anybody else. One of the principles of the military is that you're always improving your position. We are open to changes and new ideas. Q | You completed your mili- tary service last year. Explain your honorary boost from brig- adier general to major general— from one star to two stars. A | I retired from the Army in February 2018. It's a ceremonial promotion at retirement honoring you at the next highest rank. Q | What specific skills do you transfer from the military to your current role? A | People skills—liking people, respecting people, learning from people. It's given me the knowledge base to deal with a lot of different things. In this position, you get to see the most amazing children—the beauty, the resilience, the love— every day. I am still learning, having fun and feeling incredibly blessed. Q | How does Ronald McDonald House Houston help families beyond shelter and food? A | Our intervention in this social space, which is family-centered care, helps them to get better and to be better. Our intervention of caring for families beyond their basic needs helps alleviate stress and helps them with all types of collateral things they may be dealing with, such as mental health and support systems. That intervention helps improve recovery times and hospital stay times and it helps the family to be healthier and stay together through an incredible crisis to keep them whole. Q | You have expressed an interest in collecting data to determine if staying at Ronald McDonald House Houston during treatment improves outcomes for patients. How far along is that project? A | We have the assistance of a grant from the Baxter Trust. That gift allowed us to embark on a research strategy we are pursuing as a part of our long-term sustain- ability plan. ➟