April 22, 2024

For Earth Day inspiration, look no further than Texas Children’s brand-new hospital in North Austin. With interior design inspired by Central Texas landscapes and ecology, vibrant outdoor spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows for natural light and so much more beneath the surface, North Austin Campus is a beacon of healthy and sustainable design.

Traditionally, hospital design has been focused on efficiency and safety – but with a growing emphasis on healthy spaces and sustainable materials, health care facilities are evolving from the inside out by creating unique and healing experiences that go far beyond the physical.

“The material industry has partly caused that shift,” said Senior Vice President of Facilities Planning & Development Jill Pearsall, who also had a hand in designing and building both West Campus and The Woodlands hospitals. “Manufacturers have either been forced to change what they put in their materials or have chosen to be more sustainable…and I think that’s a good thing.”

These trends have pushed Texas Children’s to adopt new products and methods that are better for the environment. “The paint, carpet, flooring manufacturers…they’ve changed their ways, and we’ve adapted too because it’s what’s available, and because it’s also the right thing to do,” added Pearsall.

North Austin Campus was required to get a two-star rating from the foundational Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB) program, and ended up with a three-star rating. “We not only designed this facility to meet city requirements, but we also layered in an educational program designed to teach others what we’ve done to be sustainable and respectful of the environment, and hopefully teach kids that those things are possible.”

Other earth-friendly features of the hospital include:

  • Preservation of natural wetlands on the 24-acre site
  • Significant tree preservation, regional native and adaptive plants, a variety of shade and ornamental trees, including a 10” specimen Shumard Oak adjacent to main entrance
  • Outdoor paseo with a “peekaboo” garden wall for respite space and physical/sports therapy
  • Bike racks at building entrances and electric vehicle charging throughout garage
  • Pond used for site irrigation, replenished by condensate from cooling towers in central plant
  • Sustainably and locally sourced materials

Bringing North Austin to fruition wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless work and collaboration of our One Amazing Team across Austin and Houston, and our dedicated partners at Page and McCarthy. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in the early stages of planning, virtual meetings only brought these teams closer together and more aligned to a core mission, according to Pearsall.

Click here to watch a special video from our design partner, Page, and view the gallery below to see photos of North Austin Campus.

It’s not a day – it’s a movement! Click here for Earth Day resources and activities, and click here to learn more about Texas Children’s commitment to reduce organizational emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across the world scrambled to adopt new telemedicine technologies as a way to ensure continuity of care for their patients. Today, what was once an unchartered tool has become an important part of Texas Children’s core operations with around 11% of our daily appointment volume taking place virtually. We even crossed the tremendous milestone of one million telemedicine appointments in late 2023. However, a few years ago, the path to embracing digital health was less clear.

In March 2021, Texas Children’s Hospital eHealth Medical Director Dr. Robert Ball served on a U.S. News & World Report webinar panel with three other pediatric digital health leaders. Recognizing the value of collaboration to solve shared challenges, the group agreed to meet monthly. Over the past three years, the group of four has grown organically to over 80 participants representing 20 different children’s hospitals and recently rebranded to CONNECT – The Pediatric Digital Health Collaborative.

Texas Children’s recently hosted the group for its first in-person symposium, facilitating two days of intensive collaboration and knowledge exchange to illuminate pathways to transform care through digital innovation. Over 30 digital health leaders from 15 leading children’s hospitals, along with representatives from Epic and Texas Children’s digital health and Innovation Hub teams, came together to tackle key strategic areas. From virtual nursing to remote patient management and leveraging telemedicine for equitable access, participants worked to create strategic programmatic roadmaps. What made this session particularly noteworthy was the absence of passive observers; instead, every attendee became an active participant, contributing diverse perspectives and insights to shape future initiatives.

“We can go further when we go together,” shared Director of Business Operations & Strategic Planning Grace Karon, co-founder of CONNECT. “Unlike other conferences where peers gather to share work that is well matured, we are able to collectively share current, common problems with no competition and no hesitancy to speak up, talk through similar struggles and operationalize the best tools for our patients and families.”

Texas Children’s Pediatrics e-Health Medical Director Dr. Michael Chapman recognizes the important thought leadership opportunity we have as the facilitating organization of CONNECT. “I am so proud that Texas Children’s created and hosted this inaugural event. It is truly amazing how much collaboration there was with so many national leaders. Once again…TCH leading the way!”

Innovation is hard. It requires us to challenge the status quo, think differently and embrace the uncertainties that come with change. By fostering a culture of openness, inclusivity and innovation, stakeholders can continue to leverage digital technologies to enhance care delivery, improve outcomes and ultimately transform the lives of pediatric patients and their families.

Texas Children’s Innovation Hub partners closely with operational leaders to move new ideas from the discovery and design phase through delivery and operationalization – and CONNECT offers a unique opportunity to develop solutions with input from the collective intelligence of the field’s most forward thinking organizations. If you have an innovation idea, click here to request Innovation Hub support.

February 5, 2024

Last week, years of planning and hard work culminated in a special ribbon cutting ceremony and open house for employees to celebrate the grand opening of Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin. With the opening of North Austin Campus, we expand our hospital reach to four campuses, three of which are located in the Greater Houston area, including the esteemed Texas Medical Center.

The ribbon cutting just so happened to take place on Texas Children’s platinum anniversary, and with a “1-2-3, cut the ribbon!” we signaled a major milestone in our 70-year history. Afterwards, local press, community leaders, friends and partners of Texas Children’s were invited to take a first look at the $485 million, state-of-the-art, 365,000-square-foot campus through guided tours – exploring different areas of the hospital and taking in its unique design inspired by Central Texas landscape and ecology.

This changes everything in Austin

In the last 10 years, an estimated 30,000 children had to leave Austin and travel to Houston to receive specialized care. “Austin families and the surrounding communities deserve the most advanced treatment from world-renowned physicians at any given moment,” said Austin Senior Vice President Russ Williams. “Texas Children’s is doing their best to ensure this will happen now and in the future.”

Texas Children’s has been building a presence in Austin since 2018 with more than 20 locations offering pediatric, women’s, urgent and specialty care in the region. The opening of North Austin Campus – starting with outpatient clinics on Feb. 5 and inpatient services on Feb. 20 – will provide Austin families and surrounding communities with access to top-ranked services closer to home. What’s inside North Austin Campus? Here is just a highlight:

  • Five floors with 52 patient beds
  • 13-room emergency center seeking Level II designation
  • 11 urgent care rooms
  • 12-room NICU seeking Level IV designation (the highest level)
  • 10 ICU beds with room for another 14
  • Seven operating rooms (five for pediatrics and two for women’s)
  • Dedicated rooms for full L&D, recovery and postpartum stays
  • Renal/dialysis unit
  • Sleep study and epilepsy monitoring rooms
  • 170,000-square-foot outpatient building with a Texas Children’s Pediatrics clinic

“It has been a longtime goal of mine to continue the incredible mission of our founders and expand access to Texas Children’s high-quality level of care to families throughout Texas,” said CEO Mark A. Wallace. “As we celebrate our 70th anniversary as an organization, we are looking forward to serving even more children and women with one of the most elite clinical teams in the world.”

The right people make the difference

Opening a brand new hospital would not be possible without the passion and dedication of our One Amazing Team, including hundreds of newly hired employees and 75+ staff transfers who bring over 600 years of Texas Children’s experience to Austin.

After cutting the ribbon, we rolled out the red carpet for these team members and their families for an Employee Extravaganza complete with swag bags, food and beverage trucks, Terry Black’s BBQ, face painting, photo stations, live music and so much more. It was an evening to remember as more than 2,000 people filled the halls of North Austin Campus to marvel at the space and enjoy the festivities.

“It was a really fun and thoughtful event,” said North Austin social worker Claire Andrefsky. “It was nice to be able to show my family the hospital, especially because it’s been such a busy year leading up to opening.”

“I am most excited about all our services being in one place, it makes my job to help families navigate the healthcare system so much easier to simply send them down the hall for lab work and other important testing,” added Andrefsky. “I think it will reduce delays in care, and improve long term health outcomes for our patients.”

See photos from both grand opening events below.

 

January 29, 2024

Expanding in Austin wouldn’t be possible without the Right People working tirelessly to advance our mission and culture of care. Five of those leaders are stepping up to the plate – thinking and leading differently for a city that demands it:

Dr. Bryan Vartabedian – Chief Pediatric Officer
Dr. Melanie Belt – Chief OB/GYN Officer
Dr. Edward Buchanan – Chief Surgical Officer
Dr. Shellie Josephs – Chief of Radiology
Dr. LyTorre Vidaurri – Chief of Anesthesiology

“We are incredibly fortunate to welcome such accomplished physicians to lead our medical staff in Austin,” said Executive Vice President Dan DiPrisco.

“These doctors represent the very best the medical community has to offer…our new hospital is poised for immediate success with each one of them at the helm,” added Russ Williams, Senior Vice President of Texas Children’s North Austin Campus. “Ultimately, our goal is to make a life-changing difference for children and women in Austin, and Drs. Belt, Buchanan, Josephs, Vartabedian and Vidaurri, are just the right people for the job.”

We want you to get to know our chiefs a little better, so we sat down with them to talk all things Texas Children’s Austin – from exploring the city to opening North Austin Campus this week. Click here to watch the full Meet the Docs interviews in addition to countdown updates, resources and more on the Austin Expansion site.

 

January 16, 2024

Texas Children’s Hospital is excited to unveil our newly renovated Dialysis & Apheresis Center! Last week, the team officially moved into the new space on West Tower 6 and began treating patients.

The revitalized unit is tripled in size from the original, topping out at over 24,000 square feet with 23 patient care stations. The space is inviting with an abundance of natural light, and patients can enjoy the “Under the Sea” theme complete with wall art and fish tanks. It also features a dedicated patient and family support area, including a large waiting room, family lounge, play zone, and quiet space for nourishment and relaxation.

As the top-ranked program grows in volume and service offerings, leaders felt an expansion plan was needed for outpatient dialysis and apheresis to better meet the unique needs of our patients and families.

“The opening of our new Dialysis & Apheresis Center is a transformational event for the renal service, our patients and their families,” said Chief of Renal Services Dr. Michael Braun. “We are grateful to Mr. Wallace and the Board of Trustees for their commitment to the care of children with kidney disease…these facilities have set a new standard for pediatric dialysis and apheresis units in the United States.”

Click the gallery for more photos of the new Dialysis & Apheresis Center. Ranked #1 in Nephrology by U.S. News & World Report, Texas Children’s is home to one of the largest and most comprehensive pediatric renal services in the world. Click here to learn more.

December 21, 2023

We are weeks away from opening the doors to our first hospital in Austin. Texas Children’s #OneAmazingTeam, at all our Austin locations, has been hard at work growing our culture of care in the region and preparing to open North Austin Campus. By providing the right care in the right place from the right people, our mission to create a healthier future for the people of Austin and Central Texas is just getting started.

“I am beyond thrilled and incredibly proud that we are finally nearing the finish line of what has been a culmination of years of vision, planning and tremendous hard work,” said President & CEO Mark A. Wallace in an email to the organization. “There are some moments in our history that are monumental beginnings of new chapters and this is indeed one of them.”

The brand new, state-of-the art, $485 million campus will cater to both children and women with a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient services – many of which are not available locally or even offered at our own community hospitals in Houston. The hospital will open in phases with details below.

Thursday, February 1, 2024: grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration.

  • 1 – 2 p.m. media and key photos
  • 2 p.m. remarks, videos and ribbon cutting
  • 2:30 – 4 p.m. reception and open house tours

Monday, February 5, 2024: we will open all outpatient services in the medical office building and will begin seeing patients for clinic visits.

  • Audiology
  • Cardiology
  • Diabetes / Endocrine
  • Feeding Therapy
  • GI / Nutrition
  • Neurology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Orthopedics
  • Otolaryngology
  • Pediatric Gynecology
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Physical Therapy
  • Plastic Surgery
  • Pulmonary
  • Speech Therapy
  • Sports Medicine
  • TCP
  • Urology

We will also open the following support areas to support this clinical activity in the MOB:

  • Outpatient Laboratory
  • Radiology (non-sedated imaging that supports clinics visits)
  • Respiratory Care (Outpatient PFT)
  • Food Services / Cafeteria

Tuesday, February 20, 2024: all hospital inpatient services will be open to the public, including:

  • All inpatient units
  • ORs
  • Cardiovascular / ECMO
  • PACU/Pre-Op
  • Sleep Center
  • Outpatient procedures
  • Central Sterile Processing
  • Pharmacy
  • Respiratory Therapy
  • Emergency Center
  • Urgent Care
  • Women’s Services
  • Cancer Center
  • Complex Care
  • Infusion Center
  • Renal / Dialysis

Texas Children’s has been building a presence in Austin since 2018, starting with the opening of Urgent Care in Westgate and Mopac Specialty Care. We acquired and forged partnerships with providers across the region to build a network of 18 Texas Children’s Pediatrics locations, and we’re not stopping there. Texas Children’s Hospital – North Austin is the centerpiece of a strategically planned care model, designed to meet the unique, specialized needs of Austin’s children and women.

Now ranked #1 in Texas and #3 in the nation, we’re bringing the best to Austin. Click here for countdown updates, resources and more on the Austin Expansion SharePoint.

December 18, 2023

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams are an extremely valuable tool used in diagnosing patients. The exam length and unusual environment can be a cause of anxiety. Historically, pediatric patients needed general anesthesia to complete their exam, but through the MR-I Got This program, patients can use MRI mock scanners to help ease anxiety.

The mock scanners look and sound like a real scanner, but on a smaller scale. It has a bed that patients can lie on and travel into a tunnel similar to a real scanner. An MRI scanner makes loud noises while taking pictures, and the mock scanner simulates those noises preparing a child for what to expect. Allowing a child to practice their scan before they enter the real scanner helps them better understand their role and become more comfortable with something unfamiliar to them.

Since the launch in March 2022, MR-I Got This has had nearly 800 patients try the mock MRI scanner at both Medical Center and West Campus combined. Of those patients, 90% have been successful in completing their MRI without any medication. Additionally, the age range of patients completing this has been very wide with the youngest successful MR-I Got This patient at 2 ½ years old fully completing the MRI scan with the help of our amazing team.

“One of the biggest challenges we face with MRIs is getting the patient comfortable with the procedure to yield the best results,” said Dr. Nilesh Desai, Chief of Neuroradiology. “The mock scanner technology and the knowledge and patience of our team members has made all the difference in the progress we’ve made.”

This program is open to all patients free of charge and is available at both Medical Center and West Campus Radiology. Providers or patients can call to schedule the mock scanner and their non-sedate MRI to follow at the following locations:

  • Medical Center: 832-826-1334
  • West Campus: 832-227-2039

Radiologist Dr. Brandon Fuqua added, “It’s not a requirement to use the mock scanner, but the patients who benefit most are those who’ve never had an MRI before or experience anxiety. However, it’s open to anyone who feels it would benefit them.”

The mock scanner team consists of MRI Coordinators, Child Life, MRI Technologists and nurses all of whom help the patient through the process and answer questions they may have.

Click here to watch a video for more information or email MRIGotThis@texaschildrens.org.