Texas Children’s Department of Surgery announces new chief of Otolaryngology

December 3, 2018

Texas Children’s Hospital is excited to welcome Dr. Anna Messner as the new chief of the Division of Otolaryngology.

“Dr. Messner has a strong, clear vision for moving the Division of Otolaryngology to the next level,” said Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Larry Hollier. “She is prepared to position Texas Children’s Otolaryngology clinics as a premier destination for subspecialty care.”

As chief of Otolaryngology, Messner will helm the largest group of pediatric otolaryngologists in the nation. She brings with her a collaborative, patient-focused approach to care, as well as a strong interest in training the next generation of ENT subspecialists. One of her main areas of focus will be working with each surgeon to help them develop their talents and grow in their professional career.

“Texas Children’s is a world leader in pediatric health care and I am delighted to be joining the team,” said Messner. “My goal for the Division of Otolaryngology is to be the leader in high-quality, efficient care for children with otolaryngology conditions and the premier training program for pediatric ENTs.”

Messner also plans to leverage Texas Children’s high clinical volume to develop and execute innovative new research studies around the care of children with common ENT disorders.

“The dramatic expansion of Texas Children’s Otolaryngology program in recent years creates an opportunity not only to improve patient care, but also to conduct groundbreaking research that can’t be done elsewhere,” Messner said. “We have the potential to become a national research hub that drives how children with these conditions are cared for, both now and in the future.”

Messner comes to Texas Children’s from Stanford University Medical Center, where she served as professor of Otolaryngology and Pediatrics and vice chair of the Department of Otolaryngology. She was also previously the Chief of Pediatric Otolaryngology at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and program director for the Otolaryngology Residency at Stanford University Medical School.

A nationally recognized leader in Pediatric Otolaryngology, Messner is president-elect of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO). She is also a member of the ACGME Otolaryngology Residency Review Committee and has been a guest examiner for the American Board of Otolaryngology Oral Exams.

Messner is a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where she also completed her residency and internship. She completed an otolaryngology fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

She will begin her new role on January 14, 2019.

About Otolaryngology at Texas Children’s
Texas Children’s is home to largest pediatric otolaryngology program in the United States, providing advanced surgical and medical care for the entire spectrum of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck diseases and disorders. We are distinguished by wide range of clinical expertise across specialty areas including:

  • Cleft lip and palate
  • Cochlear implantation
  • Complex airway surgery
  • Down syndrome
  • Head and neck surgery
  • Laryngology
  • Microtia and atresia
  • Otology and neurotology
  • Rhinology
  • Sleep medicine
  • Tracheostomy care
  • Vascular anomalies

Our team of surgeons and advanced practice providers offers a comprehensive range of services at all three Texas Children’s Hospital locations, as well as five other Texas Children’s Specialty Care locations in the Houston metropolitan area. We see approximately 40,000 patients in clinic and perform more than 10,000 surgeries each year – and we’re still growing.

Learn more about Texas Children’s Division of Otolaryngology.