Driscoll Children’s Hospital: Pediatric Care & Info

Driscoll Children’s Hospital is the first freestanding children’s hospital in South Texas. It serves children from Corpus Christi and a large South Texas region, with specialty centers and outreach clinics extending into the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, Victoria, Brownsville and other communities.

The health system reports more than 150,000 patient encounters across its hospitals and clinics each year. Driscoll is also a teaching institution with pediatric residency education and academic affiliations.

Most Driscoll subspecialty care begins with a referral from the child’s pediatrician or primary-care provider. The exact referral requirements differ by specialty.

Specialist appointment process

What should new specialty patients bring?

• Parent/guardian photo ID.
• Insurance or Medicaid card.
• Immunization card when requested.
• Current medication bottles or medication list.
• Referral paperwork.
• Relevant imaging and reports.
• Recent laboratory results.
• New-patient questionnaires if mailed by the clinic.

Quick Care can treat

• Coughs and colds.
• Flu-like illnesses.
• Asthma and allergies.
• Minor lacerations.
• Minor fractures.
• Sprains and other non-life-threatening injuries.

Cardiology and Heart Center doctors

Nephrology / kidney doctors

Driscoll nephrologists provide inpatient consultation and are available on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Gastroenterology doctors

Neurology doctors

Neurology requires a physician’s order for studies such as seizure monitoring, EMG and nerve-conduction testing. Driscoll instructs families with a serious emergency to call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.

Neurosurgery team

Neurosurgery referral and assistance: 361-694-5900. The current campus directory places Neurosurgery in the Furman Building, third floor.

Orthopedic team

Pediatric Surgery doctors

Pediatric-surgeon consultations: 361-694-4700. The current campus directory places Pediatric Surgery in the Furman Building, third floor.

Urology doctors

Corpus Christi Urology: 361-694-4400. The campus directory places Urology in the Furman Building, third floor.

Pulmonology doctors

Corpus Christi Pulmonology: 361-694-4447, Sloan Building, fifth floor.

Cancer and blood-disorder doctors

ENT doctors

ENT is currently shown on the Furman Building, fifth floor.

Psychiatry

Psychiatry is shown on the Health Center, second floor.

Developmental Pediatric Medicine

Driscoll’s Emergency Department treats illnesses and injuries ranging from fever and fractures to serious brain, spinal and multisystem injuries. The department works closely with pediatric transport, the PICU and hospital subspecialists.

Trauma care

Driscoll maintains a pediatric trauma program with a dedicated trauma coordinator, and the Texas Department of State Health Services currently lists Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi among the state’s designated trauma facilities.

Quick Care or ER?

Emergency fee

Driscoll does not publish one flat emergency-room fee that represents every visit. An ER bill can include hospital evaluation, physician services, laboratory testing, radiology, medication, procedures, specialist consultation, critical-care services and admission when necessary.

Level IV NICU

Driscoll’s current 60-bed Level IV NICU is the first and only Level IV NICU of its kind in South Texas. The unit includes private rooms, twin rooms and open-bay spaces and has on-site neonatologist and neonatal nurse-practitioner oversight 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Board-certified pediatric intensivists are in the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with multidisciplinary rounds conducted every day of the year.

Cardiac Intensive Care

The campus directory places cardiac intensive-care and Heart Center areas on the third and fourth floors of the Pavilion.

Separate Driscoll Neonatal Care Center

Driscoll performs pediatric surgical care including general surgery, ENT, orthopedics, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, urology, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery and other subspecialty procedures.

Day Surgery

Before surgery

• Follow all fasting instructions exactly.
• Bring your child’s medications or current medication list.
• Tell staff about medication and latex allergies.
• Bring insurance cards and parent/guardian ID.
• Ask whether pre-anesthesia testing is required.
• Bring a comfort item for your child.
• Bring an age-appropriate car seat or booster for discharge.
• Confirm the building, floor and arrival time.

Sneak Peek Pre-Op Tour

Driscoll offers a Child Life-led preoperative tour to help children and families understand the surgery experience. Reservations: 361-694-5760.

Does Driscoll publish one doctor consultation fee?

No. There is not one universal “Driscoll doctor fee” because the professional cost depends on the specialty, visit complexity, tests, insurance benefits, deductible, contracted rates and whether additional services are performed.

Does Driscoll publish one emergency fee?

No single emergency-room amount accurately represents every ER visit. An ER encounter can include professional physician charges and hospital charges for testing, radiology, medication, supplies or admission.

2026 price-estimate contacts

Prompt-pay / cash discount

Driscoll states that discounted cash prices are available for physician and hospital services through a prompt-pay discount honored up to 30 days after patient discharge. The discount percentage can change, so call 361-694-4758 for the current percentage.

Driscoll offers financial assistance for eligible emergency and medically necessary care. Its current financial-assistance summary applies to uninsured, underinsured and other families who cannot afford qualifying care.

How to apply

Paper financial-assistance forms are also available from Admitting on the first floor and from the discharge window in the Emergency Department.

A Driscoll hospital bill may include room charges, medications, laboratory work, procedures, therapies and other hospital services.

Insurance

Driscoll accepts private insurance, Medicaid and other coverage programs. The hospital bills the insurer when coverage information is provided, but families remain responsible for deductibles, copays, coinsurance and non-covered services.

Newborn insurance rule

Need help applying for Medicaid?

Driscoll currently lists an on-site Medicaid specialist at 361-694-4913.

Visitor badges and wristbands

• Parents/legal guardians receive authorized wristbands.
• Visitors receive a visitor sticker/pass.
• Visitor passes must be renewed daily.
• Visitors may be screened for illness.
• Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Medical/surgical inpatient floors

Parents, legal guardians and grandparents can access the hospitalized child 24 hours a day. Other visitors may visit from 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m..

Current policy permits up to four people at the bedside on general acute-care inpatient floors unless an exception is approved.

PICU and CICU

PICU and Cardiac ICU currently allow up to two visitors at the bedside at one time. Sibling and young-visitor access is coordinated with nurses and unit leadership.

NICU

• Parents/legal guardians and grandparents have 24-hour access.
• Two visitors may be at the bedside at one time.
• Friends and relatives age 12+ may visit with a parent/legal guardian.
• Siblings under 12 may currently visit on Sundays with required adult supervision.

Driscoll’s current Corpus Christi campus map shows visitor parking, a parking garage and valet parking areas around the hospital campus.

Campus streets

The main hospital campus is bordered by streets including S. Alameda Street, Fort Worth Street, Topeka Street and Sinclair Street. Follow the hospital’s signs for visitor parking versus physician/employee parking.

Campus map identifies

• Visitor parking lots.
• Parking garage.
• Valet parking.
• Main building entrances.
• Separate Emergency entrance.

Before parking

1. Check your appointment for the building name.
2. Choose the parking area closest to that building.
3. For Emergency care, follow signs to the Emergency entrance.
4. For surgery, confirm whether you should use the Pavilion or another entrance.
5. Ask Security if accessible parking or route assistance is needed.

Sloan Building

Furman Building

Rehabilitation Center

Pavilion

Main Hospital

Health Center

Processing time

What a valid authorization should include

• Patient’s full name.
• Date of birth.
• Specific records and dates requested.
• Reason/purpose of disclosure.
• Who should receive the records.
• Authorization expiration date if desired.
• Patient or legal representative signature.
• Date of signature.

Mailing address

Records sent to another provider

Need X-ray images?

State specifically on the authorization that you need the X-ray films/images rather than only the written report.

Driscoll MyChart can be used to manage:

Parent and teen access

Driscoll allows legal guardians of patients age 17 or younger to request access to the child’s record. Patients age 13 and older can also request access to their own record, subject to applicable privacy rules.

Driscoll’s pharmacy department supports the Corpus Christi hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week for inpatient and hospital medication needs.

Specialty Pharmacy

Pharmacy services include inpatient medication distribution, chemotherapy preparation, IV medication preparation, medication review, discharge counseling and outpatient medication processing.

Family Connection can help with

• Local lodging opportunities.
• Meal assistance.
• Food pantry items.
• Toiletries and clothing assistance.
• Bus tokens and route information.
• Medicaid transportation/lodging information.
• Computers, copying and fax access.
• Health and community-resource information.
• Free coffee and a family relaxation area.

Guest rooms

The current campus directory shows Guest Rooms on the first floor of the Sloan Building. Availability is limited and is generally coordinated through hospital family-support staff.

Social Work

Child Life

Child Life specialists help children prepare for procedures, manage anxiety and understand their hospital experience through age-appropriate education, play and coping techniques. Phone: 361-694-5048.

Pastoral Care

Families seeking spiritual care can call 361-694-5491. The campus map places the chapel on the first floor of the Main Hospital.

Patient meals

Food Factory cafeteria

The Food Factory is on the lower level of the Main Hospital.

Clara’s Café

24-hour food access

Vending machines are available 24 hours a day. Driscoll also provides free coffee and microwaves on inpatient floors.

Driscoll provides qualified medical interpreters and written language assistance. American Sign Language interpreters are available 24 hours a day, although the hospital recommends approximately 24 hours’ advance notice when possible.

Interpreter and disability-communication assistance is provided without charge to qualifying patients and families.

Families can contact Patient Relations with a concern about care, communication, safety, services or patient rights.

Patient Relations representatives also visit patients and families to identify concerns during hospitalization.

Families have the right to

• Know the names of doctors, nurses and staff caring for the child.
• Receive information in a language they understand.
• Participate in decisions about care.
• Request another medical opinion.
• Review hospital bills and request explanations of charges.
• Ask about available financial assistance.

Where should I go?