Bringing Texas-Sized Care to the Community: A Coordinated Approach to Bringing the Nation's Largest Children's Hospital to Texas' Capital City (90H)

Austin, Texas, has been the largest growing metro area for 12 years in a row, with 25% of the population being pediatrics. Factors contributing to growth in the pediatric population include Austin's reputation as a family-friendly city with good schools, parks and recreational activities. Over the past decade, 30,000 patients from Austin have sought care at the Texas Children's Medical Center in Houston. Those opting to stay in Austin for specialty care often have to wait over a year for an appointment. Families are forced to leave their communities to access the care they need. Texas Children's Hospital Medical Center serves women and children in over 40 subspecialties, is nationally ranked in 10 pediatric specialties and spans over 500 million square feet. So how can a Texas-sized scope of care be condensed into a 365,000-square-foot community hospital three hours away from other hospitals in the system? This session will discuss how strategy and innovation mobilize an advanced scope of care for community access, covering activation team meetings, the design of spaces for workflow and the integration of new technology and system buy-in. In the weeks preceding the opening, mock hospital operations were conducted in partnership with providers, ensuring 24-hour coverage for daily simulations. In conclusion, the completion of this project provided Austin women and children with access to world-class care in their backyard.