Houston Methodist broke ground June 20 on a new orthopedics facility to be built on the Sugar Land campus at the Hwy. 59 and Sweetwater Boulevard interchange. Once complete, the 60,000-square-foot structure will allow the hospital system to relocate its Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Department from its location at Hwy. 6 and Brooks Street.

"From diagnosis through treatment and rehabilitation, we will have everything a patient needs at one site in a comfortable, convenient environment that is specially designed for orthopedics and sports medicine," said Carl Hicks, a doctor with Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

The new facility will not only allow the department to operate in a more central location, it is also expected to add additional services to the Sugar Land hospital. The building is expected to have space for a variety of services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, aquatic therapy and an outdoor training facility.

"This new facility will allow us to provide even more services to our growing community," said Ray Valdez, a doctor with Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

Valdez said he and his team are looking forward to having more space to develop the hospital's sports performance training program for athletes. In addition, the facility will house a sports medicine urgent care clinic, he said.

The project is part of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital's overall $131 million expansion plan in Fort Bend County. The expansion includes a new emergency room at 8200 Hwy. 6, Missouri City and a 104-bed patient tower at the Sugar Land campus. The new orthopedics facility is estimated to be complete by mid-2015, according to initial plans.

Houston Methodist's Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Department includes 12 physicians trained in individual specialties. For more information, call 281-690-4678 or visit www.houstonmethodist.orh/orthopedics.