New Pediatric Clinic Brings Subspecialty Care Closer to Katy Families

Designed for collaboration, built for care

Spanning 24,000-plus square feet, the clinic on the second floor of Memorial Hermann Katy Medical Plaza 3 was thoughtfully designed to make care easier and more welcoming for children and their families. The pediatric hub offers a centralized check-in/check-out area with more than 35 exam rooms that promote seamless provider collaboration.

“We are proud to showcase our newest clinic to Katy and the surrounding community,” said Akber Mazhar, director of operations at UT Physicians. “By leveraging lessons learned from previous builds and applying best practices, we not only enhanced the look but also optimized patient flow to deliver a compelling product.”

This new location at 23964 Katy Freeway will also feature a dedicated pediatric imaging center, laboratory, and rehabilitation facilities for children needing therapy. Other floors in the building house a combination of private pediatrics and women’s services provided by UTHealth Houston maternal-fetal medicine specialists.

Collaborating across departments

Representing a new model of care, the multispecialty clinic integrates pediatric specialties from multiple departments across UT Physicians. Previously, a few UT Physicians pediatric subspecialties began to serve the needs in the Katy area with small clinics, but they’ve outgrown the space and need to expand.

“We’re adding specialties that haven’t been brought into the community before, like ENT and urology,” said Kevin P. Lally, MD, the A.G. McNeese Chair, Richard J. Andrassy, MD, Distinguished Chair, and professor and chair of pediatric surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. “The Katy location is just the beginning.”

After years of thoughtful discussion and shared vision, two UT Physicians providers are seeing their dream come to life. Lally and Mary Aitken, MD, the Dan L Duncan Distinguished University Chair and professor and chair of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School, have met with Memorial Hermann for quite some time to outline how to bring a UTHealth Houston specialty platform to the community.

What sets this clinic apart is its unique focus. Unlike the existing, smaller pediatric clinics that share space within buildings offering adult services, this new building is entirely dedicated to the care of women and children. Aitken said the planning process was collaborative as they focused on creating a space built around patient-centered care.

“We sat down together — Memorial Hermann and UTHealth Houston — to develop the plans,” Aitken said. “That collaboration was key, and we came out with a better product designed to better meet the needs of children and families.”

 

 

A new model for pediatric subspecialty care

Danielle Hsu, MD, a pediatric surgeon at UT Physicians and medical director of the Katy clinic’s surgical practice, highlighted how the clinic’s integrated services will improve the patient experience.

“Many patients in our chest-wall deformities clinic need pulmonary function tests and echocardiograms. Previously, this meant traveling to multiple locations,” Hsu said. “Now, we can offer testing and surgical consultation in the same space.”

The clinic will also expand access to support-service providers, such as dieticians, case managers, and social workers, who are critical components of holistic pediatric care.

“I’m excited to create a space that is designed from the beginning with children in mind. Families in West Houston will now have a place to receive all of their pediatric subspecialty care,” she said.

Looking ahead

As Houston continues to grow, so does the vision for pediatric care. Katy is the first of several planned regional hubs, with future sites anticipated in other fast-growing areas of Greater Houston.

“These are early and exciting days,” Lally said. “Our community deserves better access where kids actually live. And that’s what we’re doing.”

With integrated services, collaborative planning, and a shared commitment to community health, the clinic marks a significant step forward in expanding pediatric care across Greater Houston.

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