The Cypress Emergency Care Center will open Nov. 3.[/caption]

Officials with the Houston Methodist Hospital System celebrated the upcoming grand opening of the Cypress Emergency Care Center with an Oct. 29 community open house and blessing ceremony.

The 24-hour emergency care center will open 7 a.m. Nov. 3 at 27560 Hwy. 290, near the intersection of Fairfield Creek.

The center, equipped with 10 exam rooms, full-service X-ray services, on-site laboratory services and a 64-slice CT scanner and ultrasound, will use the same admissions process as the Houston Methodist Willowbrook Emergency Room, officials said.

“We consider the emergency care center to be an extension of the Willowbrook ER,” said Carla Espinosa, manager of the Cypress ECC.

The center features a fully functional pharmacy, obstetric exam room and a designated ambulance entrance. It will offer outpatient imaging and by-appointment CT scanning.

“We’re so happy to be a part of the [Hwy.] 290 corridor,” said Keith Barber, CEO of Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital.

The location serves as a strategic point of interest for the Houston Methodist healthcare system, Espinosa said. It will help to ease congestion at the Willowbrook emergency room while better serving the Cy-Fair area, she said.

“There’s a lot of saturation in the market,” Espinosa said about the outburst of urgent care and emergency facilities in the area. “But I think our honest business practices will bring people here. This is an outlet to give Willowbrook a release and serve those who decide to choose Houston Methodist.”