SAN ANTONIO – Pediatric patients in New Braunfels can now get pulmonary and neurology treatment without leaving town thanks to a new partnership between Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-New Braunfels and Children's Hospital of San Antonio.
Jim Wesson, president, Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-New Braunfels, said those and other specialties are now being offered on the campus of the hospital on certain days throughout each month.
"We're very fortunate to now have available to the community of New Braunfels pediatric subspecialties to include pediatric neurology, pediatric pulmonology," Wesson said. "We're also offering pediatric physical therapy, pediatric speech therapy, and pediatric occupational therapy."
Before, patients had to drive to San Antonio or Austin for treatment.
Now specialists like neurologist Dr. Samiya Ahmad and others rotate through the clinic on different days treating patients.
Right now specialty treatments are limited, but that could change.
"We continue to work with them to look for other subspecialties that will be coming to the New Braunfels market in the future." Wesson said. "You know it's great for parents who don't want to have to take a full day off of work or take a full day off to drive into the city."
The center is not only convenient for people in New Braunfels who are seeking out specialized pediatric treatment, it is also benefiting patients in the surrounding areas who are willing to drive.
Melissa Rodarte drove her son to New Braunfels from south San Antonio for treatment because it was the first available appointment she could find.
"The downtown (San Antonio) office didn't have availability until March, so this one we were able to get into much earlier," Rodarte said. "It helped us because we needed a very quick appointment with the migraine headaches, so that was, it was a blessing to us to have an additional location available."
She said the 45-minute drive was no obstacle.
Hospital administrators are hoping other patients will find the specialized pediatric treatment available in New Braunfels convenient as well.