Driscoll Children’s Hospital’s Heart Center in Texas, US, has opened its newly expanded facility, which was developed at a cost of $100m.
Covering 53,333ft² across two floors, the new Pavilion space is intended to advance cardiac care.
The expansion features two cardiac operating rooms, a 35-bed Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), and two cardiac catheterisation labs for minimally invasive and hybrid procedures.
Driscoll Clinical Operations vice-president Karen Long said: “This expansion is more than just adding space; it’s about ensuring that every child receives the best possible care with the latest advancements in paediatric cardiology and surgery.
“We are making an unparalleled commitment to the children and families of South Texas, ensuring they have access to world-class heart care without leaving home.”
Driscoll Heart Center offers multidisciplinary care for a range of intricate congenital heart conditions, employing more than 40 specialists.
Driscoll Heart Center medical director Dr Stephen Langley said: “Paediatric heart surgery demands precision, expertise, and a commitment to progress.
“At Driscoll, every case is part of a continuum—each advancement builds on the last, driving better outcomes and greater possibilities for our patients.
“This expansion strengthens that mission, equipping us to take on more complex cases and push the boundaries of what we can achieve in paediatric heart care.”
As the population of South Texas continues to grow, the Driscoll Heart Center plans to expand its services, aiming to perform more than 500 paediatric heart surgeries each year.
This expansion includes increasing the facility’s surgical capacity, hiring more cardiologists and recruiting specialised staff.
The centre is also broadening its reach by opening a cardiology clinic in El Paso and launching South Texas’s first Mobile ECMO Program, which is set to provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiac patients while in transit.
Earlier this year, Driscoll Children’s Hospital opened a 60-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
