Health Care Guide: 6 health care updates from local hospitals

The project will add approximately 100 new patient rooms and expand surgical capabilities at Ben Taub’s campus, which officials have said is critical for maintaining the hospital’s Level 1 trauma designation. The expansion will break ground by late 2027.

• 1504 Ben Taub Loop, Houston
• www.harrishealth.org

A newly renovated and expanded unit designed for postpartum mothers and their babies was unveiled at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center in late 2025. The 19-bed unit increased the hospital’s capacity to care for new mothers from 75 beds to 96 beds.

The expansion allows the hospital to better meet the needs of its growing maternal population and consolidate the labor and delivery, high-risk antepartum services into one unit.

• 6411 Fannin St., Houston
• www.memorialhermann.org

A $25 million commitment from The Duncan Fund was awarded to Houston Methodist in mid-2025 to support the hospital’s department of medicine. In recognition of the gift, hospital officials renamed the largest department in its system “the Houston Methodist Charles W. Duncan Jr. Department of Medicine.”

Specific clinic and research areas the commitment will target programs that leverage data and artificial intelligence to tailor treatments and preventive strategies.

• 6565 Fannin St., Houston
• www.houstonmethodist.org

In February 2026, the Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center location became the first hospital in the United States to use an innovative new imaging system. The system, according to a Feb. 24 news release, is designed to enhance precision and efficiency in minimally invasive surgical procedures. Known as GE HealthCare’s Allia Moveo, the system uses 3D imaging, including AI-driven technology, to remove artifacts to provide clear images for clinicians.

The program is used to support a range of cardiovascular, vascular, interventional and surgical procedures. The hospital system was also the first in the United States to perform a fully robotic heart transplant on an adult patient in July 2025.

• 1101 Bates Ave., Houston
• www.commonspirit.org

In early January, hospital officials announced the appointment of Heather Ash as its new chief nursing officer. Ash brings more than 19 years of nursing leadership experience to the role, according to a news release on the hospital’s website.

She most recently served as associate chief nursing officer at HCA Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio. Ash will play a role in driving nursing excellence and advancing patient experiences.

• 1313 Hermann Drive, Houston
• www.hcahoustonhealthcare.com

Dr. Damian Young, investigator at Texas Children’s Duncan Neurological Research Institute and director of the Center for Drug Discovery at Baylor College of Medicine, was awarded a $6.7 million grant in April from the National Institute on Aging to develop new approaches to rapidly identify potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

According to an April news release, this five-year project brings together experts in chemistry, artificial intelligence and translational science to tackle one of the most complex challenges in Alzheimer’s research—quickly identifying therapies that are both safe and effective. The project will move through multiple phases to try and explore whether existing drugs can be repurposed to accelerate clinical testing.

• 6621 Fannin St., Houston
• www.texaschildrens.org