Texas Children’s Special Isolation Unit specializes in treating children infected with complex, highly contagious, communicable diseases. This year, it has been used to also treat an overflow of COVID-19 patients of all ages from other hospitals. Moving patients to the pediatric hospital was a contingency plan of the State to help with the rapid rise in cases in Texas back in June 2020.
Working closely with the Texas Medical Center and the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC), Texas Children’s strategically allocated dedicated areas of their hospitals to care for COVID-19 positive adults, to include the expanded Special Isolation Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus. Treating adults who were transferred to the hospital showed Texas Children’s deep commitment to saving lives during this global pandemic.
The Texas Children’s Special Isolation Unit was built in 2015 as a response to an Ebola diagnosis in the U.S. This unit is designed with negative pressure rooms, isolated air handling, and an on-site laboratory to expedite the process of identifying pathogens. Other infections disease this unit is equipped to treat include Avian Influenza (the Bird Flu), Ebola, Lassa, Marburg, Measles, MERS, Monkeypox, RSV, SARS, and Smallpox. Watch this video for a tour of the facility.
Containing the virus and limiting its spread continues to be a top priority in this battle with COVID-19. Having a state-of-the-art unit embedded within the community means families have a local resource and place to receive care if their child is ever in need of care for COVID or any other highly contagious infectious disease.
The West Campus is located at 18200 Katy Freeway, a convenient and accessible area on the corner of 1-10 and Barker Cypress in Houston. It is the largest pediatric medical facility in the country. The West Campus is open 24/7 and is designed with kids in mind as there are kids’ playrooms on every floor.
About the Author
Lawanda Maxwell, MBA has ten years of experience in business marketing and is the Communications Manager of the West Houston Association, She oversees branding/messaging, marketing projects/sub-committees, and all external communications. She has a passion for education and community-based initiatives and infuses the two as an adjunct professor. Maxwell leads WHA’s efforts on its websites, blog, social media, publications, public relations, and messaging and is an important contributor to WHA’s initiatives, events, and member engagement.