Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center opens new South Tower

After two years of construction, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center celebrated the opening of its South Tower expansion May 12.

The $250 million expansion brings an eight-story tower totaling 351,636 square feet to the hospital’s campus, along with a connector bridge attached to a neighboring parking garage.

The expansion increases the hospital’s total bed count for patients to over 500 from its previous 397; adds 10 new operating rooms; and expands the hospital’s endoscopy center, heart center, emergency center and diagnostic imaging.

Justin Kendrick, senior vice president and CEO of Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center, said the hospital has hired an additional 300 employees as well, bringing the total to over 3,000.

“The most meaningful aspect of this South Tower is the number of lives we will be able to touch and lives we have not been able to touch over these years because of our capacity constraints,” Kendrick said. “It provides us so much capacity to support this growing community and growing region.”

Following the tower’s completion, the seventh and eighth floors are remaining as shell space for future growth. Information from Memorial Hermann states the space could be used for endoscopy, interventional labs, patient care or diagnostics.

Along with the South Tower expansion, Kendrick said Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center is working on an additional 150,000 square feet of renovations to other aspects of the hospital’s campus.