On Thursday, Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace shared exciting news: Texas Children’s Board of Trustees has enthusiastically approved our plans for CareFirst.
Wallace and the leadership team launched CareFirst in January to reinvest in the programs our most critically ill patients need – primarily in the Critical Care units, operating rooms, Heart Center, Emergency Center and many of our Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services.
“These programs are at the core of our mission to create a healthier future for children throughout our broad community,” Wallace said.
The CareFirst plan includes adding 19 floors to the existing building base next to Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. For now, this new tower is named “Pediatric Tower E.” The 25-floor tower is slated to come online in 2018 and will house a 130-bed intensive care unit, new operating rooms with the latest technology and Texas Children’s Heart Center, including the cardiovascular operating rooms and the cardiovascular intensive care unit. The CareFirst plan also includes renovation of the Emergency Center and other areas in the West Tower that will become available once Pediatric Tower E is completed. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services will be located throughout the new spaces so that care can be delivered close to where patients are.
“This is cause for celebration,” Wallace said. “A considerable number of people, including board members, medical staff, managers and employees, have invested countless hours in this work, and together, we conducted a comprehensive study of our challenges, needs and aspirations, and a thorough assessment of the most effective solutions. The result is CareFirst.”
The expansion of the hospital’s facilities and programs in the Texas Medical Center will create access and allow us to provide the best quality care for the children who need us the most.
“CareFirst will ensure the best possible outcomes for some of the nation’s sickest children,” Wallace said. “And it will help us deliver on our promise to make Texas Children’s the best possible place to give and receive care.”