Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital will turn 25 years old Dec. 18, marking a milestone for the Northwest Houston medical facility.

Looking back

Located off Hwy. 249, the hospital opened in 2000 with just 50 employees and less than 100 beds, officials told Community Impact.

Nearly 25 years later, Houston Methodist Willowbrook had more than 25,000 patient admissions in 2024, and the hospital’s bed capacity has grown to 358.

Additionally, Houston Methodist Willowbrook now employs more than 2,600 staff members, approximately 1,400 of whom are physicians, per 2024 data.


“I can guarantee since I’ve been here [for] 25 years, we are not practicing the same medicine we did 25 years ago,” obstetrics and gynecology physician Dr. Stacey Norton said. “We keep up to date, and I think that’s one of the ways that our medical students and residents keep pushing us.”

The local impact

In an interview with Community Impact, several hospital officials highlighted Willowbrook Hospital's growth in the last 25 years, such as:
  • Constructing the North Pavilion tower in 2010, which added approximately 472,000 square feet to the facility
  • Launching a midwifery program in 2018, the only program of its kind within the Houston Methodist system
  • Establishing the hospital’s first residency program in 2025 with a focus in obstetrics and gynecology
  • Performing several first-time robotic surgeries within the Houston Methodist system, including gastric bypass, anti-reflux surgery and hernia repair
  • Partnering with Texas A&M University to teach third- and fourth-year medical students
Julie Peterson, vice president and chief operating officer of Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, said the hospital’s growth has allowed patients to access advanced care within their own community, rather than commuting to Houston’s medical center within the inner loop.

“We have our emergency centers—one in Spring and one in Magnolia,” Peterson said. “We are taking outpatient rehab out into the community, and we have our primary care and specialty clinics.”


Looking ahead

In the hospital's next chapter, officials said they’d like to boost academic and clinical trial opportunities. In addition to potentially expanding residency programs, officials said the hospital is focusing on providing simulation training for staff members.

"To be able to provide an environment where a nursing team from the ER can go into a simulation lab and practice critical procedures [and] critical situations ... positioned us to continue to provide the highest level of care," Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital CEO Keith Barber told Community Impact.