New Era Begins

New Era Begins as Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women Commences Labor  and Selivery Services at Premier Facility for Women’s, Fetal and Newborn Care 

Texas Children’s Hospital recently announced the start of labor and delivery services and the arrival of its first baby, a healthy boy, at its landmark new facility, Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. The nationally-ranked

 children’s hospital has now fullyexpanded into obstetrical and gynecological care with the completion of its 15-story, $575-million state-of-the-art hospital which is staffed, designed and equipped to be among the nation’s premier centers for women’s, fetal and newborn health. Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women can accommodate 5,000 births annually and specializes in multiple births and high-risk pregnancies.

On March 26, at 8:16 a.m., the first baby was delivered by scheduled cesarean section by Dr. Michael Belfort, obstetrician and gynecologist-in-chief at Texas Children’s Hospital and chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Dr. Susan Leong-Kee of BCM Obstetrics and Gynecology.  Weighing 6 lbs. 6 oz., the baby boy, Brayten, was born to Houston residents Andrea and Brandon Green.  A high-risk pregnancy, the delivery went smoothly and both mother and baby are doing well.

“What an exciting day for Texas Children’s Hospital  and the culmination of our vision to improve the health of children by providing high quality, comprehensive care for mothers starting before birth,” said Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital.  “This is truly a new era for Texas Children’s, because our Pavilion for Women is designed to care for women at all stages of life and we are fully committed to making a difference in women’s healthcare through treatment, research and education.”

Belfort pointed out that Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women was created to care for the most complicated pregnancies and critically ill newborns as well as serve thousands of normal deliveries annually. “The Pavilion for Women offers unprecedented access to leading experts offering the latest treatments and most advanced technologies in obstetrics, gynecology, maternal fetal medicine, fetal surgery and neonatal medicine,” said Belfort. “This is a new paradigm for children’s hospitals, but one that is sure to become a model for care across the country.” He added that the Pavilion is designed to facilitate the practice of family-centered maternity care, an evidenced-based care model that involves the family throughout the birthing and postpartum care process and promotes better outcomes.

The completion of the Pavilion for Women culminates Texas Children’s Vision 2010 expansion, a four-year, $1.5 billion initiative that also included renovation of its Feigin Center research facilities as well as the creation of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, one of the world’s first basic research institutes dedicated to childhood neurological diseases, and Texas Children’s West Campus, a community pediatric hospital in suburban West Houston.