Dylan Jones, Kevin Jones, nurse Lisa Lathan, Regina Jones, Kevin Jones and CEO Ashley McClellan
$10 million expansion provides 22 additional beds
HOUSTON, TX (July 13, 2017) – The Woman’s Hospital of Texas is expanding the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to better serve families with premature infants in the greater Houston area and beyond. The $10 million expansion will add 22 new level 3 NICU beds, increasing the total number of NICU beds to 146.
With more than 11,000 babies born in 2016, The Woman’s Hospital of Texas, an HCA Gulf Coast Division affiliated hospital, delivers more babies than any other facility in the state. The NICU expansion supports continued growth in Neonatal Services. Planning for the new 18,000 square foot unit began in early 2016 and construction commenced November.
CEO Ashley McClellan with several of the NICU graduates that attended the Open House
As the leader in women’s health, The Woman’s Hospital of Texas proudly partners with the March of Dimes to provide the area’s only NICU Family Support program (1 of 2 in the entire state). The hospital’s NICU Family Support Group gave insight into the design of the new unit, which also includes 2 physician sleep rooms, 2 lactation rooms, a milk bank and a transition room that will allow parents to spend the night with their baby before being discharged home.
Earlier this week, the hospital hosted an Open House for employees, physicians and community members. “We’re proud to be the #1 choice for moms and babies in the state,” said Ashley McClellan, CEO. “Today, we celebrate the opening of this beautiful new space that will care for many families in the years to come.”
NICU graduates and twins Caroline and Catherine explored the new level 3 NICU with their parents, Mike and Donna Roth.
Regina and Kevin Jones attended the Open House with their sons, Kevin and Dylan – both graduates of the NICU at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas. The Jones family shared their inspirational story on behalf of the many families that will be served in the new space. They were also reunited with the NICU nurse, Lisa Lathan, who cared for their eldest son during his 79 day NICU stay in 2003. “The babies that are born in this hospital are blessed to have such a wonderful facility,” said Kevin, now 14. “It’s like a hotel for babies!”
Kevin Jones during his 79 day NICU stay in 2003 (with his dad's wedding band on his arm), and Kevin today (age 14) with nurse Lisa Lathan.
About The Woman’s Hospital of Texas
Since 1976, The Woman’s Hospital of Texas has been the state’s premier facility dedicated to the health and well-being of women and newborns. Attention to every detail of the patient experience makes it the top choice for women throughout the greater Houston area and beyond, delivering over 11,000 babies a year – more than any other hospital in Texas. The Pediatric Center provides high-quality care to children and teenagers, including a convenient 24-hour pediatric emergency room. Located near the Texas Medical Center in the heart of Houston, The Woman’s Hospital of Texas offers expertise and outstanding care in breast health, imaging, gynecology, obstetrics, high-risk pregnancy, neonatology and minimally-invasive surgery.
Consistently raising the standards for women’s healthcare, The Woman’s Hospital of Texas was recently designated as the first Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery in Houston. The hospital was also the first in Houston to earn the Baby-Friendly Hospital distinction as well as the first in Texas to be named a Center of Excellence for Continence Care in Women – one of only six in the nation. Accredited by The Joint Commission, The Woman’s Hospital of Texas is also recognized as a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology.
About HCA Gulf Coast Division
The Woman’s Hospital of Texas is affiliated with HCA Gulf Coast Division, a comprehensive network of hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, emergency centers and diagnostic imaging facilities that offer a complete continuum of specialized health programs and services to meet the needs of Greater Houston and South Texas’ residents and businesses. HCA affiliated facilities in the Gulf Coast Division include: 14 hospitals, 8 ambulatory centers, 7 off-campus emergency centers, and a regional transfer center that provides one-phone-call access and support for patient transfers into and out of the HCA Gulf Coast Division Affiliated Hospitals, as well as access to ground and air transportation within a 150-mile radius.