Texas Children's Hospital hopes to break ground on a new pediatric hospital in The Woodlands in January that could open sometime in 2017.

"We know that The Woodlands is growing like crazy with businesses moving there," said Christy Brunton, Texas Children's public relations director. "Texas Children's Hospital's mission is to be able to give children the best access to care in their community."

Brunton said the hospital is still pending final approval from the hospital system's board of directors on Nov. 14. If approved, the hospital would be dedicated strictly to pediatrics, similar to the West Campus location in the Katy area. The Katy branch—which houses 48 inpatient hospital beds—provides a variety of medical services, including cardiology, diabetes, oncology, hematology, neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, pulmonary medicine, surgical specialties, radiology and an emergency room, among other services.

"Any service you can get at the West Campus is going to be out there [at The Woodlands hospital]," she said.

Although the design of The Woodlands hospital has not been finalized, Brunton said the planned hospital would likely be larger than the 500,000-square-foot West Campus location.

The 22.3 acres for the proposed hospital is at the southwest corner of I-45 and Hwy. 242, just south of The Woodlands branch of St. Luke's Hospital, Brunton said. Texas Children's first purchased some land on the site in 2007 and finalized the purchase of the remainder of the land last week. If approved by the board, she said a groundbreaking for the hospital is planned for Jan. 31.

Construction on the project will take 36 months with an estimated completion date sometime in 2017, she said.

Texas Children's Hospital already has a health center in The Woodlands. The hospital system also staffs the emergency room at St. Luke's Hospital in The Woodlands with pediatric physicians and manages the hospitla's neonatal intensive care room.

"We really want to make sure these kids [in The Woodlands area] have access in their own communities," Brunton said.

For more information on Texas Children's Hospital, go to www.texaschildrens.org.