Community leaders gathered as representatives from Texas Children's Hospital broke ground Jan. 31 on a new pediatric hospital in The Woodlands. The hospital is scheduled to open in 2017.

"Today, on Texas Children's 60th birthday, we stand at the forefront of an exciting new time in pediatric health care as we continue to grow, save more lives and create better futures for children everywhere," said Texas Children's President & CEO Mark A. Wallace at the event. "Our next 60 years start today—here in The Woodlands—with a Texas Children's community hospital built right on this spot."

The 548,000-square-foot hospital will be designed to serve children and families, offering inpatient and outpatient pediatric care, according to Texas Children's. The hospital will house 24 emergency center rooms, 74 outpatient rooms, five radiology rooms, four operating rooms and 30 acute beds, with plans to expand up to 200 beds. As many as 1,000 parking spaces are planned for the hospital site.

Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands will provide pediatric care in areas such as cancer, cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, diabetes and endocrinology, urology, sports medicine, gastroenterology and nutrition, plastic surgery, otolaryngology, allergy and immunology, dermatology, adolescent medicine and physician rehabilitation.

The hospital system announced at the event that Nordstrom has selected the hospital as the beneficiary of its opening gala for a new store at The Woodlands Mall, planned for Sept. 3. The Nordstrom store will open Sept. 5.

"Houston has been a great home for us and we can't wait to open our second full-line store at The Woodlands," said Nora Cummings, vice president and regional manager for Nordstrom. "We're honored to partner with Texas Children's Hospital and through our opening gala support their new Pediatric Hospital in The Woodlands."

For more information on the news hospital, visit www.texaschildrens.org/thewoodlands.