St. Luke’s, Kelsey-Seybold Look to Grow in County’s Northwest
By Nancy Sarnoff and Lynn Cook, Houston Chronicle
Jan. 26–St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System and affiliate Kelsey-Seybold will soon open an emergency center and medical clinic in an upscale development in northwest Harris County called The Vintage.
The initial phase of the 40-acre project will be open in late spring.
The health system also said it hopes to build a community hospital on the site, advancing its strategy of expanding into Houston suburban areas.
When Kelsey-Seybold’s medical clinic is complete in April, it will move its existing clinic and physicians from the Methodist Willowbrook campus.
Kelsey’s 60,000-square-foot medical facility will offer magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography, digital X-ray and mammography services.
St. Luke’s is expected to complete a 12,000-square-foot emergency center in the same time frame.
It will offer 24-hour minor emergency care.
If the St. Luke’s board approves the plan, the system will also build a hospital with between 70 and 100 beds. That project would not come online until 2011.
David Koontz, senior vice president for St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System, said studies show the area’s growth would support a new hospital.
“But we still have to make our business case to the board,” he said.
St. Luke’s recently purchased 28 acres in Katy’s Grand Reserve with the same hope for a new suburban outpost. Koontz said in both cases development is in such early stages that plans have not been put in front of St. Luke’s board.
The health system does want input — and investment dollars — from local doctors.
“Now that we have the land, we want to talk with physicians already working in the area to figure out what services are most needed and whether they would be willing to support them,” he said.
St. Luke’s will also look for local doctors to invest in the project as they have in its forthcoming hospitals in Sugar Land and Clear Lake, according to Koontz. In both cases physician syndicates own 49 percent of the hospitals.
Located at Texas 249 and Louetta near the Hewlett-Packard Co. campus, the Vintage is being developed by V&W Partners, a partnership between Kickerillo Co. and Mischer Investments.
The 630-acre project will include shops, office space, high-end homes and a hotel.
nancy.sarnoff@chron.com lynn.cook@chron.com
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