Texas Border Business
MCALLEN – Plans were announced today for Driscoll Children’s Hospital to open and independently operate a freestanding pediatric hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. The name of the hospital will be Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley.
The new eight-level hospital will be located on the campus of DHR Health, making it the only designated, freestanding children’s hospital in the Rio Grande Valley.
Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley will further the mission of Driscoll Children’s Hospital founder Clara Driscoll to provide medical care to all the children of South Texas.
In early 2019, Driscoll began discussions with DHR Health to expand pediatric services to the Rio Grande Valley to include inpatient acute care. From there, plans developed in which DHR Health would build a hospital on its campus to be leased to and operated independently by Driscoll Children’s Hospital. Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley will provide the following pediatric services:
- Pediatric specialists
- Acute inpatient and outpatient surgery
- Emergency services
- Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
- Rehabilitation: physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy
- Imaging
- Laboratory
- Child Life program
Construction is scheduled to begin later this year, with an anticipated opening date in late 2022.
“The future for children’s healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley is bright,” said Eric Hamon, President and CEO of Driscoll Health System. “We look forward to being an even larger part of the Valley community and providing more care for more kids.”
Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley will operate with more than 450 employees, creating significant economic impact and new job opportunities for clinical, ancillary and support staff in the Valley.
“Our new hospital will greatly enhance our commitment to providing children with more convenient access to an even greater number of pediatric subspecialists that will complement the outstanding care currently offered in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Hamon.
“DHR Health is excited to have access to extensive pediatric services to include even more specialized care for children in the community. Not only are we delivering more babies than any hospital in our region, but now, with Driscoll Children’s Hospital, exceptional healthcare can continue for those babies through their teenage years,” said Manish Singh, MD, CEO of DHR Health.
“The opening of a pediatric hospital in the Rio Grande Valley with the Driscoll name on it is the culmination of founder Clara Driscoll’s desire to take care of all the children of South Texas. With Driscoll hospitals in both Corpus Christi and Edinburg, her wish will be carried on for generations. We are proud to introduce Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley,” said Lenora Keas, Chair, Board of Directors, Driscoll Children’s Hospital.
“Home is definitely where the heart is, and if we can provide critical care to young patients right here in Edinburg rather than send patients out of the Valley for care, we ensure that our families are with them every step of their journey. DHR Health proudly welcomes Driscoll Children’s Hospital to our thriving medical campus, and we look forward to the future of pediatric care in our backyard,” said Carlos Cardenas, MD, DHR Health Chairman of the Board.
Driscoll has had a presence in the Rio Grande Valley for decades, with specialty centers in Brownsville, Harlingen and McAllen staffed by Driscoll pediatric subspecialists and other clinical team members.
Driscoll’s Board members from the Rio Grande Valley are excited about the news.
“Driscoll has done a fantastic job offering the finest healthcare to Rio Grande Valley kids with its numerous clinics, and this new independently-operated freestanding Driscoll hospital in the Valley will take ‘more care for more kids’ to a much higher level,” said Reba Cardenas McNair, Driscoll Children’s Hospital Board of Directors member from Brownsville.
“Driscoll’s presence as a hospital in the Rio Grande Valley will bring an unmatched capability for parents to receive the best healthcare possible for their children without having to go elsewhere,” said Val LaMantia, Driscoll Children’s Hospital Board of Directors member from McAllen.
About Driscoll Children’s Hospital …
“Devoted to expert care, education, outreach and advocacy.”
Driscoll Children’s Hospital is a 191-bed pediatric tertiary care center with more than 30 medical and surgical specialties offering care throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley, Victoria, and Laredo. Through the vision and generosity of its founder, Clara Driscoll, Driscoll Children’s Hospital opened in 1953, becoming the first, and remains the only, free-standing children’s hospital in South Texas. In 2020, Driscoll had almost 122,000 patient visits, including almost 28,000 patients seen at South Texas’ first emergency room created exclusively for children.
