Texas Children’s Hosp. West Tower: Pediatric Care & Info

Texas Children’s describes its Medical Center Emergency Center as the largest pediatric emergency center in South Central Texas. The department treats both medical and surgical pediatric emergencies and includes shock/trauma resuscitation areas, a dedicated sexual assault examination room and specialized isolation capability.

Visitors in the Emergency Center

Current policy permits up to two healthy adult caregivers to accompany a patient in the Pediatric Emergency Center. Because rooms can be small, Texas Children’s recommends avoiding additional siblings when alternative childcare is available.

MyChart self-scheduling specialties

Existing patients may currently schedule with eligible providers through MyChart in specialties including:

Surgical hospitalist providers based at West Tower

The Newborn Center is on West Tower Level 4. Texas Children’s identifies its Houston Medical Center Newborn Center as a Level IV NICU, the highest level of neonatal intensive-care capability.

Texas Children’s describes its program as the first Level IV NICU in Texas. Neonatologists work with fetal medicine, surgery and pediatric subspecialists to care for premature babies and newborns with complex medical or surgical conditions.

NICU-related services in or near West Tower

• Level IV neonatal intensive care.
• Milk Bank on Level 4.
• ECMO and advanced neonatal support for selected infants.
• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia expertise.
• Fetal-to-newborn care coordination.
• Neonatal surgical consultation.
• Family-centered newborn care.

West Tower Level 10 contains both the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and the Neurology/Neurosurgery Inpatient Unit.

West Tower is also the official office location for multiple Texas Children’s neurologists, including specialists in epilepsy, neuroimmunology, movement disorders, migraine and neuromuscular disease.

High-intent neurology contacts

The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit is an inpatient diagnostic service. A routine neurologist office appointment may occur elsewhere on the Medical Center campus, so confirm the appointment building even when the physician’s profile lists West Tower.

Surgery visitors

Current Texas Children’s policy allows up to two healthy adult caregivers to accompany a patient to surgery, procedure suites and the cath lab. Visitors under age 18 are not accommodated in these procedural areas under the current general guideline.

If your child has an infusion, clinic follow-up, hematology consultation or cancer appointment, check the appointment confirmation carefully before parking because Wallace Tower and West Tower use different garage-access routes.

The Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit is on West Tower Level 12. It serves children who need intensive rehabilitation after serious illness, injury, surgery or other conditions affecting mobility and daily function.

Physical and Occupational Therapy also lists the Texas Medical Center West Tower, Floor 21 as one of its treatment locations.

Families entering rehabilitation may be asked to bring

• Comfortable clothing for therapy.
• Athletic shoes or nonskid footwear.
• Glasses or contacts.
• Toiletries.
• School assignments.
• Braces or adaptive equipment already in use.
• Preferred comfort items.

West Tower’s building directory lists Pediatric Radiology on Level 18. However, procedure-specific imaging instructions can route families elsewhere in the tower.

For some MRI appointments involving anesthesia or sedation, the arrival time can be significantly earlier than the scan itself. Follow the exact preparation instructions sent by the imaging team.

Current general inpatient rules

• Up to four healthy individuals may be at the bedside during visiting hours.
• Visitors can include caregivers, siblings, the patient’s children, family and friends.
• The bedside care team may reduce the number of visitors when needed for safety or care.
• Up to two adult caregivers may remain at bedside after visiting hours.
• Children must be supervised by an adult.
• Children may visit for up to four hours per day under the general inpatient guideline.

Emergency Center

Up to two healthy adult caregivers may accompany the patient.

Surgery / procedure suites

Up to two healthy adult caregivers may accompany the patient; visitors under age 18 are generally not accommodated in procedure areas.

Texas Children’s encourages a parent or responsible adult to remain actively involved in the child’s care. Families staying overnight can ask the nurse for linens and other basic bedside needs.

Patient-room amenities

• Bedside telephone.
• Built-in television and Blu-ray player.
• Free Care WiFi.
• Family lounges with microwave and refrigerator access on inpatient floors.
• Access to family laundry services.
• Child Life and family activity resources.

Ronald McDonald House and Family Room resources are also incorporated into West Tower and the broader Texas Children’s campus.

Garage 12

Garage 12 is beneath West Tower and is accessed through the Texas Medical Center road system near Bellows Drive.

Current 2026 Texas Medical Center visitor rates for Garages 12, 16, 21 and other major TMC garages are:

Value Pass for repeated visits

TMC offers special Texas Children’s Value Passes usable at Garages 12, 16, 21 and 22.

• $52 Value Pass provides $60 parking value.
• $100 Value Pass provides $115 parking value.
• The passes do not expire.
• They are intended for repeat or multi-day parking.

West Tower valet

TMC parking help

Parking Helpline: 713-791-6161.

METRORail

Texas Children’s is close to the Dryden/Texas Medical Center METRORail station. Families can also use the Fannin South Transit Center for park-and-ride access.

METRO customer service: 713-635-4000.

Complimentary Texas Medical Center shuttle

The Texas Medical Center operates free shuttle service within the Medical Center campus for patients, visitors and employees. This can be useful for moving between West Tower, Wallace Tower and other TMC buildings without repeatedly moving the car.

Hospital-based clinic facility fees

Texas Children’s states that most specialty visits in hospital-based clinics are subject to a facility fee. Starting October 1, 2025, Texas Children’s reduced these facility fees and says they are 20% below the average of the top 10 pediatric hospitals it uses for comparison.

Telehealth appointments, Texas Children’s Pediatrics primary-care offices and Texas Children’s Urgent Care locations are not subject to the same hospital-based facility fee.

If your child sees multiple doctors the same day

• Multiple providers in the same hospital-based clinic on the same day generally result in one facility fee.
• Visits in different hospital-based clinics can result in separate facility fees.

Personalized cost estimate

Texas Children’s online Cost Estimate tool uses insurance benefits to calculate a personalized expected out-of-pocket amount for many scheduled services.

ER charges

A pediatric emergency visit can include:

• Emergency Center facility services.
• Emergency physician services.
• Laboratory work.
• X-ray, CT, MRI or ultrasound.
• Medication.
• Procedures or sedation.
• Surgical or specialist consultation.
• Hospital or ICU admission.

Families may receive more than one bill after Texas Children’s care because hospital services, physician services and specialty professional services can be billed separately.

Payment options

• Pay through Texas Children’s MyChart.
• Pay through the online guest-payment system.
• Pay by telephone.
• Pay by check, credit card or money order by mail.
• Request a payment arrangement through financial counseling.

To request a hospital bill or itemized statement, call 832-824-2300.

Texas Children’s Financial Assistance Program can help eligible families who cannot pay their full hospital financial responsibility.

Financial counselors can:

• Explain the hospital Financial Assistance Policy.
• Help complete the application.
• Review payment resources.
• Help establish a payment schedule.
• Discuss uninsured and underinsured options.

West Tower financial counseling is generally available on weekdays; Texas Children’s currently lists the main Admissions/financial-counseling office as operating during normal weekday business hours.

MyChart connects families with the child’s eligible clinical and billing information.

MyChart can be used to

• View eligible test results.
• Send non-urgent messages to the care team.
• Request appointments.
• Schedule directly with eligible providers and specialties.
• Request prescription refills.
• Review after-visit information.
• View billing statements.
• Save payment information.
• Review payment history.
• Receive eligible good-faith estimates.

How to request records

1. Complete the Texas Children’s Release of Information authorization.
2. List exact dates of service and records required.
3. Use a handwritten legal signature; Texas Children’s says electronic signatures are not accepted for the authorization.
4. Include a contact telephone number.
5. Submit by the accepted email, fax or mail method.

Submission contacts

• Email: Releinfo@texaschildrens.org
• Fax: 832-825-9056
• Phone: 832-824-1600

Processing time

Texas Children’s states that a records request may take approximately 10-14 business days. MyChart electronic delivery is recommended for faster access when available.

Current maximum record-copy charges

Radiology-image requests: 832-824-7237.

West Tower Level 16: family-services floor

Children’s Chapel

The Children’s Chapel is on West Tower Level 3 near the Auxiliary Bridge and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Spiritual Care: 832-824-7223.

Children’s Garden

West Tower Level 4 has a roof garden with seating where eligible patients and families can spend time outdoors without leaving the hospital complex.

Free Wi-Fi

Texas Children’s offers free high-speed Care WiFi throughout the hospital complex.

Language Services

Medical interpreters are available 24/7. Families can ask a care-team member for an interpreter or call 832-824-5200.

Family Advocacy

Family Advocacy helps patients and caregivers with concerns, communication problems, patient-rights questions, compliments and complaints.

832-824-1919
familyadvocacy@texaschildrens.org

Security

Texas Children’s security officers are available around the clock. Security: 832-824-5400.