Wolthoff: A new standard of children’s healthcare is coming to the RGV

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EDINBURG, Texas – The president of Driscoll Children’s Hospital-Rio Grande Valley says the future is bright for pediatric healthcare in the region.

Matt Wolthoff spoke in depth about the services on offer at the new hospital at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility. He said DCH-RGV is already planning to expand.

“Most importantly, we will continue to grow and expand our pediatric subspecialty base here in the Valley and create more and more access to care for kids in pediatric specialties that we’ve not had access to in the past,” Wolthoff said.

Wolthoff started his speech by saying “It’s all about the kids.” He said DCH has had a vision to improve healthcare in the Valley for a long, long time.

“Today we’re celebrating the culmination of that work and that vision to get this done,” Wolthoff said. “Today, we are celebrating a new standard of care in children’s healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley.”

The speeches were given under a large tent on the parking lot of DCH’s neighbor and partner, DHR Health. The event drew a large crowd of community members and VIPs.

“Many of you were here with us in November of 2021 when we broke ground on this very spot. And over the last two and a half years we have recruited a world class pediatric healthcare team that is dedicated to taking care of kids,” Wolthoff said.

“And I think the one thing they all have in common is that they have a passion for taking care of children, and it shows every day. And that’s what distinguishes us from any other healthcare system or hospital in South Texas.”

Wolthoff explained that DCH-RGV has been open for business for the past three months. In that time, he said, it has beacon for hope for the Valley’s children.

“Currently we have 119 licensed beds, including 63 neonatal ICU beds in the DHR women’s center next door,” Wolthoff said, explaining that a skywalk connects the two facilities.

“This week that NICU has been full, so there is a tremendous need, and we’ve known that.”

DCH-RGV also includes 48 pediatric med surg beds, including a 16-bed hematology oncology unit, Wolthoff explained. “That will be delivering the latest and greatest in terms of oncology protocols and research and treatment. Along with our oncologists here in the community.”

He said DCH-RGV also has eight pediatric ICU beds with plans to expand this number.

“We also have eight ORs (operating rooms) that have been extremely busy and will continue to grow and do more and more surgeries as we expand our services and grow our surgical service lines,” Wolthoff said, proudly.

“And we have an eight-bed emergency department that has a tremendous team led by some incredible experienced emergency department leaders that know how to run an emergency department efficiently.”

He said these ER leaders provide the highest level of care who work tirelessly to “get the children back to being well and back in school and back back with their families.”

In the first three months of operation, Wolthoff said, DCH-RGV has “touched hundreds of children’s lives and families’ lives.” He said before the hospital opened many of them would have had to travel for the same level of care.

“We have countless examples of that, where families and children have come and received care here in this building in the last three months. There’s no question they would have had to travel to Corpus Christi or beyond for that level of care.”

The next step, Wolthoff said, will be to expand the hospital’s ICU.

“We have one shell floor left, and believe it or not in three months of operations we’re already talking about capacity. And how do we grow? How do we make more room? That one last shell floor is the next step in that, where we’re going to expand our ICU,” Wolthoff said, to applause from the audience.

Wolthoff also won warm applause when he said DCH-RGV would be starting the Valley’s first pediatric residency program.

“Our goal is to train the next generation of pediatricians here in the Rio Grande Valley, and our goal is those residents will stay here and serve our kids here at home,” Wolthoff said.

“We have a vision that a kid could go to high school in the Valley, go to undergrad in the Valley, go to medical school in the Valley, come right here, do their pediatric residency and become a pediatrician and serve our children here in the Valley, (and) never have to leave home. That’s the vision.”

Wolthoff concluded his remarks by thanking Driscoll’s partners. He gave a shoutout to the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas, state Sen. Juan Hinojosa and the entire Valley legislative delegation, and the community at large.

“We will continue to grow and expand services. We will continue to provide that higher level of care and be that tertiary center for all of our children across the Valley, from Brownsville to Roma to Zapata and beyond.”

Wolthoff closed by referencing the hospital’s motto.

“Thank you again for being here. Thank you again for your continued support, and Together We Heal.”

Editor’s Note: Here is an audio recording of Matt Wolthoff’s remarks from the podium at the official opening of Driscoll Children’s Hospital-Rio Grande Valley:

Editor’s Note: Here is a video recording of an interview the Rio Grande Guardian secured with Matt Wolthoff at the official opening of Driscoll Children’s Hospital-Rio Grande Valley: