‹Johnson Development Names Christen Johnson Head Of Marketing

Johnson Development Corp. has named Christen Johnson Senior Vice President of Marketing. Johnson is a 15-year employee of Johnson Development, and in addition to continuing to handle the marketing of Sienna Plantation and Riverstone, she will oversee the overall marketing efforts for the company.

“Christen has been an integral part of Johnson Development for many years, and together with her Riverstone team, they have brought it to become one of the most successful master-planned communities in the nation,” said Doug Goff, Chief Operating Officer of Johnson Development. “We are fortunate to be able to bring Christen’s creativity, insight and exceptional marketing experience to all Johnson communities.”

A lifelong resident of Fort Bend County, Johnson was a vice president of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce before joining Johnson Development in 2001. She has been named Marketing Professional of the Year twice by the Greater Houston Builders Association’s Houston’s Best PRISM Awards, in 2005 and 2014, and twice by the Texas Star Awards, in 2002 and 2005. She serves on the board of the Fort Bend Chamber of Com­merce and the Sugar Land Skeeters Founda­tion.

Learn more at johnsondevelopment.com.

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Mark Foust Named Fort Bend ISD Chief Of Schools

Dr. Mark Foust was named chief of schools at Fort Bend ISD’s May 16 regular board meeting. Foust is currently an assistant superintendent, a position he’s held for the past three years. Previously, he was principal of Dulles High School for six years after serving as associate principal at Travis High School and assistant principal at Dulles High School. Foust began his career as an English teacher at Kempner High School in 1996.

“Mark brings two decades of proven success as both a teacher and an administrator here in Fort Bend ISD,” said Dr. Phillys Hill, chief academic officer. “His role as assistant superintendent the past three years, overseeing instructional programs for 15 schools, has prepared him for this next level of leadership and collaboration.”

As chief of schools, Foust will be responsible for oversight of school administration for the District’s 75 campuses, the curriculum and instruction department, the District’s assistant superintendents, and effective implementation of instructional programs and initiatives.

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‹Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Receives Patient Safety Accreditation

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital has earned accreditation from DNV GL – Healthcare, demonstrating that it meets or exceeds the patient safety standards set forth by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

DNV GL is one of the world’s leading advisors on safety and sustainability and provides accreditation services to a number of industries. DNV GL’s hospital accreditation program is the only one in the U.S. to integrate the ISO 9001 Quality Management System with Medicare’s Conditions of Participation.

“Our physicians and employees have worked hard to ensure that patient safety is paramount in our delivery of high-quality care,” said Chris Siebenaler, CEO of Hous­ton Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “I am proud that their commitment has been recognized by this accreditation.”

DNV GL’s accreditation program, called NIAHO (National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations), involves annual hospital surveys – instead of every three years – and encourages hospitals to openly share information across departments and to discover improvements in clinical workflows and safety protocols.

“Patient safety includes a broad range of initiatives and best practices,” says Diane McGraw, director of quality management and patient safety officer at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “That means reducing the risk of infections, blood clots and falls; responding rapidly when a patient has needs; educating patients about their medications; and much more. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, and we are pleased to be recognized for these efforts.”

For more information, visit houstonmethodist.org/sugarland or call 281-274-7500 .

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‹Oakbend Medical Center Spiritual Care Volunteers Honored At Luncheon

On April 15, Joe G. Grace II, the Chaplain at OakBend Medical Center held a luncheon to honor the Spiritual Care Volunteers who help out each year at the hospital.

Over the last 12 months, the dedication and service of OakBend Medical Center’s nine Spiritual Care Volunteers resulted in over 3,000 patient visits, with over volunteer 300 hours logged.

“That deserves a round of applause. Each of our spiritual care volunteers are highly valued, loved, appreciated, and very much needed,” stated Grace.

During the luncheon, each Spiritual Care Volunteer was presented with a clock as a token of the hospital’s appreciation. These clocks serve as a reminder of the time the volunteers have willingly given to help make the spiritual lives of OakBend Medical Cen­ter patients and families more meaningful. More information is available at
oakbendmedcenter.org.

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‹Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Honored With Award For Stroke Care

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital recently received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s (AHA/ASA) Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to national standards and recommendations.

“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost,” said James Ling, M.D., medical director of the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Stroke Program. “The award demonstrates our commitment to being one of the top hospitals in the country for providing aggressive, proven stroke care and addressing the important element of time.”

Houston Methodist Sugar Land has developed a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the Emergency Department. This includes always being equipped to provide brain imaging scans, having neurologists available to conduct patient evaluations and using clot-busting medications when appropriate. “We will continue with our focus on providing care that has been shown in the scientific literature to quickly and efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based protocols,” said Maria Socci, stroke coordinator at Houston Methodist Sugar Land.

To receive the Gold Plus award, the hospital achieved an 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month intervals and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with five of eight Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Measures. These quality measures are designed to help hospital teams follow the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. If given intravenously in the first three hours after the start of stroke symptoms, tPA has been shown to significantly reduce the effects of stroke and lessen the chance of permanent disability.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 800,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

Visit houstonmethodist.org/sugarland for more information or call 281-274-7500 for a physician referral.

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‹New And Improved Brand Lane In Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County, the City of Stafford, Fort Bend County Water Control & Improvement District #2, and BAPS TEMPLE celebrated the Brand Lane opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 14. The 1.25-mile project, constructed by Allgood Construction, includes the area from US90A to Avenue E. Brand Lane was converted into a 2-lane concrete road with a center turn lane, underground storm sewer system, and 5-foot sidewalks on both sides; for a total project cost of $7,780,000. This project was included in the 2007 mobility bond. Fort Bend County Commissioner Precinct 2, James Prestage said, “We are excited to finally get this last piece of the puzzle completed. The new road will offer a much safer situation for the residents, businesses, and churches in the Brand Lane area.” Visit fortbendcountynews.info for more information.

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‹Fusion Academy Expands In Metro Houston

Fusion, an accredited private school providing one-to-one (teacher to student) classrooms for kids in grades 6-12, will open in the Sugar Land area of Houston on June 27. The school’s innovative learning model has already been embraced in the area – Fusion has campuses in Houston Galleria and The Woodlands, and has served more than 200 students in Texas alone. This unique model is completely customized for each student, wherever they are in their educational path, and creates a real emotional connection.

“The Houston area has been receptive to Fusion’s unique ability to meet students’ needs through a customized approach to learning that meets them where they are, unlike any other alternative in today’s education system,” said Curt Coffey, Fusion Academy Sugar Land head of school. “Fusion offers transformative learning to students with a variety of schedules, lifestyles, and learning needs, with the understanding that the one-size-fits-all approach to education doesn’t work for every student.”

Fusion Academy Sugar Land, located at 13440 University Boulevard, Suite 260, will be the seventh Fusion Academy in Texas and among 37 locations in seven states as well as Washington, D.C.

Fusion was founded in San Diego more than 20 years ago out of frustration with the status quo in traditional K-12 schools. The one-to-one approach to teaching proved to unlock academic potential, while opening opportunities for emotional and social growth. The decision to open in Sugar Land was based on research that indicated there was a strong need in the area for a one-to-one educational option.

Led by Coffey, former assistant director of Fusion Academy Plano, with over ten years of experience in education, Fusion offers flexible scheduling to meet the growing demands students face outside of school. At Fusion, homework is completed in the Homework Café on campus and students must be signed out by their lead teacher before leaving for the day. This policy enables students to spend quality time with family and friends, while simultaneously making sure they receive the instructional support they require to complete assignments.

Classes are offered year round so students can begin studying at any time during the calendar year, including enrolling for a full schedule of courses over the summer. Students seeking to make up a course, get ahead, or simply have some fun may take standard academic courses for credit or sample the Fusion program by enrolling in the Fusion Exploratory. Parents interested in learning more are encouraged to attend one of the school’s information meetings. For more information, visit FusionSugarLand.com or call 866-210-9479.

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‹Diana Sayavedra-Sustaita New FBISD Chief Of Instruc­Tional Support And Student Services

Diana Sayavedra-Sustaita was named chief of instructional support and student services at Fort Bend ISD’s May 16 regular board meeting. Sayavedra-Sustaita is currently executive director of curriculum and instruction in Pflugerville ISD, a position she’s held for the past four years after being promoted from director of curriculum and instruction.

Previously, she served as the principal of Dessau Middle School in Pflugerville ISD and at Pearce Middle School in Austin ISD. From 2002 to 2006, she served as principal of Elkins High School in Fort Bend ISD.

“Diana has worked extensively in the area of curriculum and instruction and as a campus leader,” said Dr. Phillys Hill, chief academic officer. “She will be a welcome addition to our team, and we are excited that she is returning to our Fort Bend ISD family.”

The chief of instructional support and student services will be responsible for leading and oversight of special services that support students’ success in learning through the following departments: special education, counseling, college and career readiness, Title I, bilingual and English as a second language, and learning support services, which includes students served through response to intervention (RTI) and Section 504 of the American Disabilities Act.

Sayavedra-Sustaita received her Bachelor of Arts in English and physical science from the University of Texas and a Master of Science in education administration from Texas A&M International University. She is pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy in education administration from Texas A&M University.

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‹Construction Begins On Two Elementary Schools In District’s West Side

The FBISD Board of Trustees approved construction service agreements for Elementary Schools 49 and 50 during the May board meeting. Both scheduled to open in August 2017, the new campuses will support student growth on the District’s west side.

Drymalla Construction Company, Inc. will oversee the construction of Elementary School 49 located in the Harvest Green Subdivision on Harlem Road, west of Travis High School. The two-story building will be 123,440 square feet and will cost $27,550,000.

Cadence McShane Construction Company, LLC will oversee the construction of Elementary 50. The two-story, 119,876 square-foot campus will be located in the Grand Vista subdivision, near the northeast corner of Beechnut Street and Harlem Road, and will cost $25,793,553.

The Board also approved major bond funded renovations at Clements HS, Kempner HS, Willowridge HS, Drabek ES and Ridgemont ES, including repaving of the parking lot and new sidewalks at Wheeler Field House and Mercer Stadium, which also serves the Administration Building. That same contract also includes new sidewalks and exterior lighting upgrades at 16 schools.

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‹Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital Breaks Ground For New Patient Tower

Ground was broken recently on a $93 million expansion to the Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital campus, and the first floor of a new six-story patient tower is open to the public. The remaining five floors of the 155,000-square-foot patient tower are scheduled to open in early September.

The first floor offers expanded conference room space, a café and a new pre-admission testing department. The patient tower will add 90 beds to the existing 87-bed hospital as well as an expanded nursery, neonatal intensive-care unit and an adult intermediate care unit for patients who do not need the level of care provided by the intensive care unit but require close supervision. The expansion project includes four shelled operating rooms to accommodate future growth.

“We’ve built the patient tower to meet the needs of our community today and in the future. We have the foundation and infrastructure in place to add four additional floors to the patient tower when necessary,” says Greg Haralson, sr. vice president and CEO, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land.

Last month, the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute opened on the Sugar Land campus. The Institute provides Sugar Land and the surrounding communities, access to a dynamic array of sports medicine experts and comprehensive testing and training for competitive and recreational athletes of all ages.

Phase I of the expansion and renovation project, which was completed in December 2015, included the completion of Medical Plaza 2 and the installation of an Advanced Computed Tomography (CT) scanner and a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine. The new MRI machine allows pediatric patients to receive MRI on the Sugar Land campus for the first time. For more information, visit memorialhermann.org/locations/sugar-land.

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‹Sugar Land Named Tree City USA

The Arbor Day Foundation recently recognized Sugar Land as a 2015 Tree City USA community, the fifth consecutive year the City has received the distinction.Four standards are considered, including an established tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, a community forestry program with annual expenditures of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

“Everyone benefits when elected officials, volunteers and committed citizens in communities like Sugar Land make smart investments in urban forests,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation.

Sugar Land’s commitment to an extensive, healthy tree system can been seen in a number of projects, including the following: The City recently annexed 754 acres of mostly inaccessible forest and wetlands north of Sugar Land Regional Airport, adding thousands of new trees to Sugar Land’s canopy; the Sugar Land Parks Department partnered with 30 Santrol employees last year to plant about 75 tree saplings in Sugar Land Memorial Park –– Burr Oaks, Bald Cypress and Cedar Elms; Sugar Land’s streetscape policy ensures that major roadways incorporate landscaping, including trees that not only screen large buildings but also expand the City’s canopy to provide shade and wildlife habitats; in observance of Arbor Day and Trees Across Sugar Land, the City annually hosts tree planting activities; Sugar Land has engaged a professional arborist to assist with the preservation of the City’s canopy along public right of ways; Sugar Land partners with CenterPoint Energy in the “Right Tree for the Right Place” program. .

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‹Restaurateurs Honor Foster HS Culinary Arts Teacher Jocelyn Aventurado

The Texas Restaurant Association Educa­tion Foundation has named Foster High School Culinary Arts teacher Jocelyn Aventurado as the group’s 2016 Education Excellence Award Recipient.

The Excellence Award is awarded to an educator who has made significant contributions to culinary education through both an unwavering dedication to their students and who were strong presence in their community using the Texas ProStart curriculum.

Texas ProStart prepares students for careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry. They gain valuable restaurant and foodservice skills through their academic and workplace experience.

Aventurado will officially be honored in Dallas at the TRA’s Night of Excellence Awards Banquet, June 25.