Texas Children’s expands into Austin
In March 2018, Texas Children’s marked the beginning of an exciting chapter in its history when organization leaders opened the doors to Texas Children’s Urgent Care Westgate – the first Texas Children’s location in Austin.
Texas Children’s Urgent Care Westgate is modeled after other Texas Children’s Urgent Care facilities located in the Greater Houston area and offers high-quality, efficient and affordable pediatric care at a convenient location.
“Oftentimes, families turn to an emergency center after hours, on weekends or perhaps even during the day, when a significant event occurs with their child,” President of Texas Children’s Urgent Care Kay Tittle said. “Though the emergency center is the right place for some incidents or ailments, the majority of the time, minor illnesses can and should be treated at a pediatric urgent care facility.”
Primary care
In June 2018, Texas Children’s opened its first Texas Children’s Pediatrics primary care practice in Austin, marking another milestone in Texas Children’s path toward creating a network of quality pediatric care for children and families living in the state capitol. A month later, a second Texas Children’s Pediatrics practice opened in Austin.
Texas Children's Pediatrics provides full-service primary care for children of all ages including, among other offerings, prenatal counseling; newborn and infant care; well and sick child visits; immunizations; and hearing and vision screenings; as well as camp, school and sports physicals.
Austin Pediatrics is unique because it is a solo pediatric practice, which means patients get one-on-one care with the same doctor at every visit. The office is able to provide 24/7 coverage for after-hours emergencies, through a network of other solo pediatricians in Austin.
“When we said we’re coming to Austin, it meant we were bringing our unique brand of care to your community,” Texas Children’s Pediatrics Director of Community Business Development Melissa Fischer said. “At every Texas Children’s location, children are seen and treated by experts trained to care for them.”
Specialty care
In October, Texas Children’s leaders cut the ribbon to Texas Children’s Specialty Care Austin, which offers access to specialized pediatric services such as cardiology, ophthalmology, pulmonology and allergy and immunology.
“At Texas Children’s, we are extremely proud to be in Austin,” Vice President Ivett Shah said. “It is an extension of our mission — so that we can provide the very best care to even more children who need it. We are honored to have everyone respond so positively and we are so grateful to be serving the Austin community.”
Now that we're up and running in Austin, our goal is to strengthen relationships with the community. This year, Texas Children’s Austin locations have successfully produced events such as Touch a Truck, an event at Camp Mabry for families to bond as their children explore the vehicles they’ve seen in movies, books and just driving around town; the Capitol Tree lighting; and water giveaways during Austin's boil water notice last October.
“It is very exciting to have a presence in Austin, expanding our Pediatrics, Urgent, and Specialty Care programs,” Executive Vice President, Michelle Riley-Brown said. “It marks our entrance into the fastest growing city in America with a pediatric population of almost a half a million, and we look forward to what is to come in the future.”