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Pearland Friendswood Edition VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7 JUNE 14JULY 15, 2024

2024 Health Care Edition

The new Friendswood Community Hospital will go in a former Walgreens store and oer several dierent medical services to tens of thousands of residents nearby.

RENDERING COURTESY SUCHMOR THOMAS

Friendswood’s rst hospital to open this year

“We believe the new hospital will enhance access to specialized care and improve overall health outcomes for residents,” Friendswood Deputy City Manager Steven Rhea said in a May 14 email.

pediatric care as well as emergency rooms—there are no hospitals in the city. To resolve this, emergency care physician Suchmor Thomas is opening Friendswood Commu- nity Hospital, the rst microhospital in the city, and expects it to be operating by late 2024.

BY HALEY VELASCO

Throughout its history, Friendswood residents have had to travel outside city limits to receive hospitalized care. While there are several medical facilities in Friendswood—such as urgent, primary and

CONTINUED ON 14

Also in this issue

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INSIDE

Education: Alvin, Friendswood, Pearland ISDs improve nancially (Page 10)

Development: Manvel approves $40M wastewater project (Page 20)

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Impacts

W. OREM DR.

SHADOW CREEK

MCHARD RD.

ALMEDA GENOA RD.

S. GRAND BLVD.

Pearland

EL DORADO BLVD.

SMITH RANCH RD.

521

BUSINESS CENTER DR.

W. B R O A

SPACE CENTER BLVD.

W ALNUT ST.

518

FITE RD.

Friendswood

M AGNOLIA PKWY.

BAILEY RD.

MCKEEVER RD.

288

528

FRIENDSWOOD DR.

2351

BAY AREA BLVD.

SOUTH ST.

Manvel

MAP NOT TO SCALE

3 Elite Massage Therapy The facility offers prenatal, trigger point, Swedish, deep tissue and sports massages. • Opened May 3 • 1925 Pearland Parkway, Ste. 120, Pearland • elitemassagepearland.com 4 Power Fit Eats The business works with local vendors to create a healthy food menu, which includes bulk foods and other custom food preparation. • Opened May 13 • 3126 FM 528 Road, Webster • www.powerfittx.com

5 Blue Goose Plant and House The business is a plant and vintage home goods store. It sells rare vintage home goods, including furniture, plants and propagations. • Opened May 15 • 632 S. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood • www.bluegoosefriendswood.com 6 SMART Core Labs The business provides STEM-based programming for youth with after-school care, online sessions and summer camps. Programs include robotics, coding, artificial intelligence mastery and web development. • Opened May 20 • 10237 Bailey Road, Ste. 105, Manvel • www.smartcorelabs.com

Now open

1 Satori Health and Fitness Studio The studio is a women-only fitness studio and was launched in Sundance Yoga Studio. It offers 30 minutes of guided training for women and girls of all ages. • Opened April 15

• 7501-2 Fite Road, Pearland • www.sundanceyoga.com

2 Fidelity National Title The business offers title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries. • Opened May 1 • 601 S. Friendswood Drive, Ste. 103, Friendswood • www.houston.fntic.com/friendswood

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7 Barcenas Mexican Grill The restaurant offers an assortment of nachos, tacos, burritos, tamales, enchiladas and quesadillas, among other items. • Opened May 22 • 1930 Pearland Parkway, Ste. 106, Pearland • www.barcenasmexicanrestaurant.com 8 Marlyn’s Mediterranean The Alvin-based food truck serves chicken shawarma, falafel, sfeeha and hummus. • Opened May 25 • 1704 S. Gordon St., Alvin • Facebook: Marlyn’s Mediterranean 9 Chipotle The international restaurant chain serves build- your-own Mexican-inspired cuisine, such as bowls, burritos and quesadillas. This location will also feature Chipotlane, which is a drive-thru pickup lane that allows guests to pick up mobile orders. • Opening May 27 • 11710 South Freeway, Houston • www.chipotle.com 10 Luscious Beauty Bar The salon will offer services such as haircuts and a variety of other hair treatments, microblading and professional makeup. • Opening June 1 • 2743 Smith Ranch Road, Ste. 1403, Pearland • www.luscious-beautybar.com

12 Rose Tea House The tea house will serve tea, desserts and cake. • Opening this summer or fall • 3414 Business Center Drive, Ste. 160, Pearland 13 Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers The national physical therapy franchise offers services such as orthopedic rehabilitation, balance therapy, occupational therapy and pelvic therapy. • Opening in September

Now open

• 10015 Broadway St., Ste. E, Pearland • www.fyzical.com/west-pearland-tx

In the news

18 LIT Java Coffee & Books The shop offers lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, hot chocolate, flavored lemonade, teas and more, while also offering a variety of books. • Opened April 27 • 5018 W. Broadway St., Pearland • www.litjava.net

14 Instant Imprints The business celebrated its grand reopening on June 4. It offers custom T-shirts, branded apparel, various promotional products, banners, signs and other print services. • 2403 Bay Area Blvd., Ste. E, Houston • www.instantimprints.com 15 Food Town The Houston-focused grocer celebrated 30 years in April. The business has 29 locations in the Greater Houston area, including one in Pearland. • 7121 Broadway St., Pearland • www.yourfoodtown.com 16 Kelsey-Seybold Clinic The clinic celebrated 75 years in March and has 40 locations across the Greater Houston area, including one in Pearland. • 2515 Business Center Drive, Pearland • www.kelsey-seybold.com

has a food truck, which will remain open. • Closed May 25 • 3320 E. Broadway St., Ste. 114, Pearland • www.mingoslatinkitchen.com

19 The Box Bakery and Kitchen The business opened in March 2021 and sold baked goods, breakfast items, salads, sandwiches and tacos, among other items. It also has a location in League City, which will remain open. • Closed May 27 • 1130 Broadway St., Ste. 114, Pearland • www.theboxbak.com 20 Juanitos Mexican Restaurant The business opened in 1990 and served fajitas, enchiladas, burritos and margaritas, among other menu items. • Closed June 1 • 2536 S. Grand Blvd., Pearland • Facebook: Juanitos Mexican Restaurant

Coming soon

11 Friendswood Scoop Shop The ice cream parlor will serve 16 daily flavors. Sorbets are also available, along with many nondaily flavors, such as cheese, blackberry, birthday cake, lemon and Friendswood fig. • Slated to open in July • 901 S. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood • www.friendswoodscoopshop.com

Closings

17 Mingo’s Latin Kitchen The business opened in August 2022 and served Mexican and Latin dishes, including brisket tacos, elote and rice bowls, among other items. The business also

EOI

PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

Government

BY RACHEL LELAND

Pearland water plant to pump in summer Pearland’s new water treatment plant won’t be operational until the summer due to city ocials waiting to receive state authorization. The backstory City ocials are waiting for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to authorize pumping water at the plant, which should happen in either late June or July, Pearland Communications Director Josh Lee said. Ocials originally expected the facility to be operational by January, Lee said. Community Impact previously reported the $175 million surface water treatment plant will eventually pump 10 million gallons of water per day for Pearland.

Pearland chamber to manage Innovation Hub Pearland City Council voted 5-2 on May 13 to provide the Pearland Chamber of Commerce with funds to manage the Pearland Innovation Hub, which supports small businesses in the city. The gist Council approved $467,600 to go to the Pearland Chamber of Commerce as part of a 16-month contract for the chamber to manage the Pearland Innovation Hub. As part of that, the chamber will hire someone full-time to lead the Innovation Hub. Community Impact previously reported the hub, which launched in May 2022, supports local entrepreneurs through local and regional entre- preneurship assistance programs, events, service providers and funding sources. The idea is for the chamber to use its connec- tions in Pearland’s business community to bolster

“This gives us an opportunity to really dig in and

provide some support for small businesses in our community.” KEVIN COLE, PEARLAND MAYOR

the hub, which allows them to help smaller startup companies the chamber wouldn’t usually serve, chamber President Jim Johnson said. What they said Council members Rushi Patel and Layni Cade voted against awarding the contract to the cham- ber. Patel said he felt it was unlikely the chamber would nd someone to lead the Innovation Hub. “I think this is a money grab,” Patel said. Mayor Kevin Cole stressed that the hub is for all small businesses in town and isn’t exclusive to higher prole businesses.

Friendswood rezones residential area near FM 528 Friendswood City Council voted at its May 6 meeting in favor of rezoning a parcel of land near FM 528 from residential to commercial—a move that aligns with the city’s goal of increasing commercially zoned property in Friendswood. The gist FM 528. The area includes single-family residential and neighborhood commercial zoning. The zoning change would comply with Friend- swood’s future land use map, which includes a goal of increasing the percentage of commercially

Area rezoned

528

FRIENDSWOOD LAKES BLVD.

zoned property in the city, documents show. The Friendswood Planning and Zoning Com- mission recommended approval at its April 11 meeting.

The land in question covers nearly 6 acres of land in the Burgess subdivision, which borders

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Election

BY JAMES T. NORMAN

Barry wins Republican runo for District 29 Jerey Barry won his race against Alex Kam- kar, meaning he will represent the Republican Party in November for District 29 of the Texas State House, according to unocial results from Brazoria County as of press time on June 6. What you need to know Following the pair competing in the March primaries, where neither candidate obtained more than 50% of the vote, the two former Pearland City Council members competed May 28 in a runo election. In a Q&A submitted to Community Impact in February, Barry said if he’s elected, he’ll support rst responders, prioritize securing the border, reducing property taxes and securing water sources for future generations. District 29 covers much of the eastern part of Brazoria County, including Pearland, Manvel,

Burridge wins seat on Brazoria Co. Court Jay Burridge won the Republican primary runo election against David Thacker for the Precinct 1 seat on the Brazoria County Commissioners Court, according to uno- cial election results from Brazoria County. The full story Burridge received 1,788 votes, or 61.5% of the vote, while Thacker received 1,121 votes, or 38.5% of the vote, unocial results showed as of press time on June 6. There is no Democratic candidate running in the race, meaning Burridge will run unopposed in November. “I want to express my gratitude to the people of [Precinct 1] for believing in me and supporting my campaign,” Burridge said in a May 29 social media post.

Results breakdown

Texas State House District 29, Republican Party

58.48% Jerey Barry 41.52% Alex Kamkar

Jerey Barry

SOURCE: BRAZORIA COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Alvin and stretches down as far as Freeport, according to state maps. With the victory, Barry will now face Demo- cratic candidate Adrienne Bell in November. “Thank you to my friends, family, and neigh- bors for sticking with me through this journey,” Barry said in a May 30 social media post. “The road’s been long and dicult, but I couldn’t be more proud of all that we’ve accomplished.” What else? The seat was opened up after incumbent Ed Thompson, RPearland, announced last year he was retiring following the end of his term.

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

Education

BY JAMES T. NORMAN & HALEY VELASCO

Amid challenges, Alvin, Friendswood, Pearland ISDs improving financially

Diving in deeper

AISD, FISD and PISD are making a number of adjustments in their respective budgets this year. Some highlights include:

Cost increases

Savings & reductions

Alvin, Friendswood and Pearland ISD’s respective fiscal year 2024-25 budgets are in better shape than they were last year, but officials aren’t shying away from speaking publicly about the financial challenges facing public education. Several issues surrounding inflation, lack of state help and in some cases, stagnating enrollment, are creating strains on budgets not only locally, but across the state, officials from the three districts said. Alvin ISD is projecting a balanced budget for FY 2024-25. The district will see an additional $7 million in both revenue and expenses compared to last year, documents show. AISD will consider its budget June 11. Friendswood ISD is currently looking at a $705,000 shortfall. Documents from May show the budget’s expenses would be $4.4 million less than last year. It will consider its budget in either July or August. Pearland ISD is expected to see a surplus of around $4.1 million. Despite this, in addition to the statewide challenges, officials are unsure about student growth given a new charter school opening in the area in August, which could affect the budget negatively, officials said at a May workshop. PISD will vote on its budget in June ahead of the July 1 new fiscal year, documents show. Currently, its lone June meeting is June 11. Though individual tax bills depend on how home values change each year, officials at each district expect their respective tax rates to drop compared to last year.

Budget breakdown

Alvin ISD

$18.4M

$11.5M

more in technology

$366.6M $366.6M

Balanced budget

Friendswood ISD

FISD

$60.6M $61.3M

$490K

$1M+

in approximate new salary costs

in cuts, including operational costs and insurance

$0.7M shortfall

PISD

Pearland ISD more in staff pay $6M

$213.3M

$4.1M surplus

$8M

in projected salary savings

$209.2M*

$1.7M

less in contingency expenses

Tax rate changes

AISD

SOURCES: ALVIN, FRIENDSWOOD, PEARLAND ISDS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

$213M $1.1923

2023-24 2024-25

$1.17

Down by 1.87%

FISD

$1.08

2023-24 2024-25

How we got here

$1.07

Down by 0.93%

PISD

According to district documents, school districts across Texas are facing many similar challenges financially, which include: • Inflation of nearly 20% since 2019, and the per student allotment staying at $6,160 in that time

$1.1373 $1.135

2023-24 2024-25

Down by 2%

NOTE: TAX RATES ARE BASED ON PER $100 VALUATION OF A HOME. RATES ARE PROJECTED UNTIL APPROVED BY RESPECTIVE BOARD *INCLUDES POSSIBLE $8.2M IN SALARY SAVINGS

• Funding related to COVID-19 expiring • Stagnating enrollment for some districts

SOURCES: ALVIN, FRIENDSWOOD, PEARLAND ISDS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Projected shortfalls in Houston

The takeaway

-$600M -$500M -$300M -$400M -$200M -$100M $0

In Galveston County, Clear Creek ISD is facing a $13.4 million shortfall, Chief Financial Officer Alice Benzaia said. Houston ISD, which is the largest school district in the state, is looking at a shortfall of over $500 million. Some of the districts facing shortfalls have looked to make cuts in a variety of areas. Cy- Fair ISD, for example, could cut more than 600 staff members to help close the gaps.

Savings and cutting of certain expenses in each district are helping balance the books. However, with the lingering issues ongoing across Texas, early projections for FY 2025-26 show those financial challenges could be in place next year too. Meanwhile, school districts both across the state and the Greater Houston area are continuing to struggle with their budgets, with many facing shortfalls varying in size.

SOURCES: CLEAR CREEK, CONROE, CY-FAIR, HOUSTON ISDS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Education

BY HALEY VELASCO

Alvin ISD committee to recommend $380M bond In its last meeting as a group May 6, Alvin ISD’s Citizens Advisory Committee decided to recom- mend a bond of about $380.1 million to the AISD board of trustees. Zooming in Officials believe the bond, which will be pitched to the board at its June 11 meeting, will help manage the growth within the district, officials from both the district and committee said. There are just under 30,000 students enrolled in AISD. By 2028, AISD is projected to enroll more than 33,000 students and just under 37,000 by 2033, according to district documents. While the proposed bond would total a little less than $395.1 million, roughly $15 million will come from savings from the 2018 bond, leaving the new bonds issued at about $380.1 million, district officials said.

Friendswood ISD OKs $1.75M change order Friendswood ISD’s board of trustees approved a $1.75 million change order for a few 2020 bond projects at its May 13 meeting. What’s happening? The change order, which will prioritize the band, choir and engineering building at Friendswood High School, comes after officials changed the work schedule. Plans were adjusted after work was suspended due to the roof collapse in the boys gym at the school last June, which killed a construction worker and injured three others. The majority of funds are expected to come from insurance, documents show. The band, choir and engineering building at Friendswood High School is expected to be complete by July 15, according to district documents.

Projected bond costs

$2.1M Backup generation power

$12M Security

$12.5M Land and design

$44.33M Replacement elementary school in 2026

$88.24M New junior high school in 2027

$91.97M New elementary schools

$143.92M Renovations to Alvin and Manvel high schools

SOURCE: ALVIN ISD'S CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Pearland ISD approves 2% pay raise for employees

Pay increase costs Pearland ISD's general pay increase will cost a little over $3.9 million.

Pearland ISD’s board of trustees approved a new salary and compensation package at its May 14 meeting for fiscal year 2024-25, which includes a salary increase for multiple staff positions throughout the district. What’s happening? The district will provide a 2% general pay increase and equity adjustments, Superintendent

Larry Berger said at the meeting. Beginning teacher salaries at PISD will increase from $60,500 to $62,700, according to district documents. The package also allows the district to consider an additional one-time payment for employees later in the year, which will depend on the state of the district’s finances, according to district documents.

New adjusted midpoints for all eligible employees: $2.99M

Instructional support positions: $231K Teacher positions: $383K Other positions: $253K Auxiliary positions: $48K

$3.9M

SOURCE: PEARLAND ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

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Health care

BY SARAH HERNANDEZ CONTRIBUTIONS BY JAMES T. NORMAN

Health Care Edition

2024

Community Impact 's annual Health Care Edition features news on the timeliest topics in the industry. Content ranges from major health care developments to listings of nearby health care facilities. Articles within this guide are focused on local topics aecting your community, the metro and the state of Texas, and are written by our team of journalists to meet our mission of providing trusted news and information everyone gets.

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What's inside

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Texas nursing homes face continued stang shortages

Jasmine, who owns Proverbial Care and Precisive Care, which are assisted living facilities in Pearland, said the challenge comes from the pay they’re able to o er. “It’s an industry-wide problem,” she said. “[Work- ers] leave you for 50 cents [per hour] more.” Jasmine on June 5 said each of her facilities had 13 full-time employees—short by one or two each, she said. That shortage also is compounded when workers leave without notice. “We cover the needs and make sure they are met but residents feel the void,” Jasmine said. “It works

Nursing homes in Texas and across the U.S. face high sta turnover rates due to exhaustion, linger- ing eects of the pandemic and sta’s tendency to leave for other health care jobs, according to the American Health Care Association. The context In 2022, the median turnover rate for direct resi- dent care registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses in long-term care facilities was over 50%—an increase from previous years, according to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies. Leticia Caballero, director of government rela- tions for HMG Healthcare, said a reason for the high turnover rates after the pandemic was exhaustion. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates U.S. nursing homes based on their quality of care and stang. Families for Better Care, an Austin citizen advocacy group dedicated to creating public awareness of nursing home conditions, uses the ratings to compile state report cards. Texas received a grade of F and the lowest ranking out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. What they’re saying The struggle of nding care workers can be found in the Pearland-Friendswood area as well. Tayray

Nursing home sta turnover Texas nursing homes have a higher sta turnover rate than the national average.

Total nursing sta turnover rate as of April 2024

60%

National average

50%

us very hard.” Looking ahead

40%

New rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services aim to combat poor quality of care in nursing homes. It outlines minimum stang requirements that mostly impact registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and certied nursing assistants by requiring additional hours of care a nursing home patient receives daily. “It’s a great concern for the nursing home environment because while you can mandate these requirements, there are just not enough nurses or clinicians out there to meet this requirement. It’s unrealistic,” Caballero said.

30%

20%

10%

SOURCE: CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICESCOMMUNITY IMPACT

PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

Friendswood’s rst hospital to open this year From the cover

The overview

Hospital features Sta

Friendswood Community Hospital, located at 3201 FM 528, will oer specialized care typically found in the Texas Medical Center but not readily available in Friendswood, according to Thomas’ website. The facility will include emergency care; cardiology, or heart care; gastroenterology, or digestive system care; pulmonary, or lung care; an internal medicine specialist; orthopedics, or bone care; and radiology. Thomas said he wanted to open the hospital to bring these specialties to Friendswood and bring ER wait times down to less than ve minutes.

Hospitals near Friendswood

25+ physicians 40+ registered nurses 75+ ancillary medical sta

Pasadena

Friendswood city limits

Hospital

Beds

12 beds for ER 3 beds for critical care 5 beds for in-patient care

SOURCE: SUCHMOR THOMASCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Webster

528

BROADWAY ST.

Friendswood Community Hospital

Pearland

Construction for the $25 million microhospital, which is a smaller,

288

neighborhood-based hospital that oers similar services as a regular hospital, began in late 2023, Thomas said. It was formerly a Walgreens store.

528

What they’re saying

“The main thing is we are not hiding behind corporations. It’s our name out there. We are community and family-

“[Thomas] wanted this to be a … high- prole [facility]. The [hospital’s design] was centered around the

“Recent additions like Dr. Thomas’ facilities and the hospital enhance the landscape, promoting potential further

oriented. We don’t shy away from anything.” SUCHMOR THOMAS, OWNER, FRIENDSWOOD COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

emergency and imaging, and everything fed o of that.” STEPHEN WANG, MANAGING PRINCIPAL, BB&W ARCHITECTS, ARCHITECT COMPANY FOR FRIENDSWOOD COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

development to ensure health care accessibility and quality for all Friendswood residents.” STEVEN RHEA, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, FRIENDSWOOD

11555 Magnolia Pkwy., Suite 170 Pearland, TX 77584 713.852.6700 TexasBayCU.org

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY HALEY VELASCO

Put in perspective

What’s next

People living near the hospital

While the original goal was to open the hospital by October, Thomas said he hopes to open by the end of the year. He said it has taken over a year to build the microhospital due to regulations and permitting. As of late May, a visit to the site showed work on the interior had not yet begun and workers were still constructing the exterior. On the architectural side, the development has come across challenges due to higher wind load and ooding requirements with the facility being in a “coastal area,” said Stephen Wang, managing principal for BB&W Architects. Supply chain prices have also aected construction, Wang said. “There’s been some price escalation and supply chain challenges because we’re coming out of [the COVID-19 pandemic], [which delayed] certain materials,” Wang said. “Those are challenges that are faced by everybody.”

Estimates from real estate demographics rm CoStar show the hospital will be within 10 minutes of nearly 90,000 people. It’s projected that num- ber will increase by 2.8% over the next ve years, data from the rm shows. In addition to being closer to people in the community, Thomas said his hospital will bring more than 100 jobs to the city, allowing more res- idents to both work and live in Friendswood. The hospital will also provide property tax revenue to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, Thomas said. However, he declined to specify what that exact amount might be since the hospital is not yet built. In a May 21 email, Thomas talked about his eorts to bring other types of facilities into Friendswood as well. Those include memory care and medspa facilities that he opened in 2021 and 2023, respectively. He also plans to open senior living and assisted living facilities by 2024 and 2025, respectively.

586,378

181,251

72,417

11,101 1 mile

3 miles

5 miles

10 miles

SOURCE: COSTAR DEMOGRAPHICSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Friendswood has no nancial contributions to the hospital, but city ocials said they appreciate Thomas’ contributions to the city. “We ... believe [Thomas’] facilities are a great asset to the city,” Rhea said in an email.

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

Health care

BY COMMUNITY IMPACT STAFF

BY RACHEL LELAND

Hospitals

Nonprofit health care clinic for uninsured patients relocates Taylor Barrett is the director of operations at SEVA Clinic, a nonprofit, low-cost clinic that has served uninsured patients in Pearland since 2017. It covers primary care cases and does not pre- scribe controlled substances or pain medication. The clinic is relocating in July to expand its capabilities and services. It will share a location with food bank Christian Helping Hands at 3402 Swensen Road, Pearland. To keep the care low-cost, all medical person- nel at SEVA Clinic are volunteers. Barrett spoke to Community Impact about what the clinic offers to patients in Pearland and what its new facility will bring. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What does SEVA Clinic provide to the Pearland community? We provide primary care services. ... We have the ability to do EKGs, so we can look for arrhyth- mias. We have the ability to do lab work [at] a very decreased cost. We can do more extensive work here but only a couple of patients at a time. What services will SEVA Clinic offer in the future that it doesn’t currently offer? We will be adding a lot more when we have the new clinic open. We’ll have a medical device and safety device rental program. ... We will have health coaches and nurses [who] will provide education and mentoring, and counseling for healthier lifestyles. ... We’re also going to be pairing up with dietitians and nutritionists to create an entire bundle of culture-based nutrition plans. Why is SEVA Clinic relocating? We have never had enough room. We currently work out of two storage rooms that we converted into clinic rooms. ... It’s to have a bigger space and the ability to standardize and make our processes more efficient.

Level III: neonatal intensive care unit that can care for mothers and infants of all gestational ages with mild to critical illnesses Level IV: advanced NICU that can care for mothers and infants of all gestational ages as well as the most complex, critically ill infants

Levels of care

Pearland

Trauma levels Level I: highest level of care with a full range of specialists and equipment in-house 24/7 Level II: offers specialists on call 24/7 and can transfer to Level I facilities Level III: offers resources for emergency surgery and intensive care but may have to transfer to higher-level facilities for more serious issues Level IV: provides initial evaluation, stabilization and diagnostic capabilities but may have to transfer to higher-level facilities for more serious issues Neonatal intensive care unit levels Level I: newborn nursery that can care for mothers and infants at 35-plus weeks of gestation with routine prenatal problems Level II: specialty care nursery that can care for mothers and infants at 32-plus weeks of gestation with problems to be resolved rapidly

Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital Trauma level: IV NICU level: N/A Number of beds: 64 Number of physicians: 1,490 (Southeast and Pearland) Number of nurses: 279 • 16100 South Freeway, Pearland • 713-413-5000 HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland Trauma level: IV NICU level: N/A Number of beds: 48 Number of physicians: 476 Number of nurses: 488 New program or procedure: Aquablation—robotic

Houston

Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital Trauma level: III NICU level: III Number of beds: 295 Number of physicians: 1,490 (Southeast and Pearland) Number of nurses: 709 New program or procedure: Mako robotic orthopedic surgery • 11800 Astoria Blvd., Houston • 281-929-6100

COURTESY TAYLOR BARRETT

What is SEVA doing to train its all-volunteer staff? We have an entire health care leadership program called SEVA Leaders where we have three different pathways between clinical care technicians. We’re about to onboard for that right now. So they get trained to do vital signs, urinalysis, EKG and blood glucose.

procedure for benign prostatic hyperplasia • 11100 Shadow Creek Parkway, Pearland • 713-770-7000 This list is not comprehensive.

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Health care

BY JESSICA SHORTEN

Memorial Hermann transfers liver transplant patients

Following the immediate halt of all liver, kidney and pancreas organ transplant operations in April due to claims of malpractice in the system, Memorial Hermann Health System officials said in a statement the hospital system has successfully transferred all liver patients to other hospital waitlists as of May, and it is working toward restarting the kidney and pancreas program. George Kovacik, director of external communications for Memorial Hermann, said 60 patients in the kidney transplant program went to another hospital while 300 remained with Memorial Hermann. According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, a national database of transplant patients, Memorial Hermann was one of five hospitals in the Houston region that provided liver transplants and one of only 16 statewide. The registry showed the majority of liver transplant patients went to Houston Methodist. “Houston Methodist has 1,244 kidney transplant

patients and 377 liver transplant patients on our lists now, and we are committed to providing a smooth transition for additional patients,” said Senior Communications Specialist Wes Hamilton. “We have 23 liver and more than 300 kidney transplant referrals right now.” Families of three deceased patients, Richard Mostacci, Daniel Rodriquez-Alvarez and Robert Osuna, filed lawsuits on May 20 against the head of the Memorial Hermann liver transplant program, Dr. Steve Bynon—who is still employed by the hospital system. The lawsuit claims lengthy wait times for liver transplants led to the deaths. “There is significant concern that the defendant was improperly excluding patients ... from receiving a liver transplant and depriving them of lifesaving care,” the lawsuit filing said. From July 2022-June 2023, seven patients on the Memorial Hermann liver transplant list died, according to the transplant registry.

Liver transplant waitlist turnover Memorial Hermann liver transplant waitlist turnover from July 2022-June 2023: • 48 patients originally on waitlist • 46 patients added • 52 patients removed

Of the 52 patients removed: Received transplant: 31 Condition deteriorated: 8 Died: 7 Other: 5 Recovered: 1

SOURCE: SCIENTIFIC REGISTRY OF TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

Why it matters

In their words

What’s next

In the Houston region, four hospitals provide liver transplants for adult patients, with Memo- rial Hermann previously leading the successful transplant rate even above the tracked national average. According to the registry, the second highest performer of liver transplants in the region is Houston Methodist, which falls below the national average. CHI St. Luke’s Health Baylor and the DeBakey VA Medical Center also provide liver transplants in the region.

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we continue to cooperate with all regulatory authorities. Our primary priority is ensuring continuity of compassionate care for patients who were on the transplant program lists at the hospital.” GEORGE KOVACIK, MEMORIAL HERMANN DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Kovacik said there is currently no timeline on when the liver transplant program might be reactivated at Memorial Hermann, but all efforts are being focused on restarting the kidney and pancreas transplant program first. “We are actively working with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to make the necessary changes that will allow for the quick reactivation of the kidney/ pancreas transplant program under a different physician leadership structure,” Kovacik said. A number of additional malpractice lawsuits have been filed against Memorial Hermann following the transplant freeze, but all cases are still in the early phases and center around the physician who oversaw the program. Kovacik said Memorial Hermann is still communicating with new and existing patients regarding available resources.

Average percentage of patients receiving transplants after joining waitlist

Houston Methodist

National average

Memorial Hermann

“Houston Methodist has one of the largest transplant programs in the country and has the capacity to accommodate additional patients needing liver and kidney transplants. We are committed to help in any way we can to be sure those listed for transplant get the proper care and support they need at this time.” WES HAMILTON, HOUSTON METHODIST SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

80% 20% 40% 60% 0%

30 days 1 year 2 years 3 years

SOURCE: SCIENTIFIC REGISTRY OF TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Health care

BY ASIA ARMOUR

Little Tickles owners want to be a “one stop shop.”

Co-owner Cynthia Wordu started the business with her husband.

PHOTOS BY ASIA ARMOURCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Little Tickles oers maternity services for families Cynthia Wordu, the co-owner of Little Tickles in Pearland, was giving birth to her second child during the grand opening of her maternity center in April 2023. The backstory nondiagnostic 3D and 4D maternity ultrasound center out of the need to provide expecting mothers and their families more opportunities to savor the journey of entering into motherhood, she said. What they oer

Little Tickles oers nondiagnostic 3D and 4D ultrasounds.

BROADWAY ST.

During her rst and second pregnancy, Wordu said she wanted more chances to see her baby via ultrasound, but the opportunities were few and far between, she said. “With my rst baby, I think I saw them maybe three or four times,” Wordu said. “You might see your OBGYN every week or [every] two weeks, but they’re not going to do an ultrasound every time. Even then, the pictures are 2D.” So she and her husband opened the

Aside from the ultrasound experience, her ser- vices include pre- and postnatal massages, gender determinations, and maternity photoshoots, which she began oering in May. To further connect with their growing baby, the business also oers heartbeat plush toys as a keepsake for mom and family, she said. “We are here for entertainment—it’s just for fun,” Wordu said. “For now, we just want to make moms happy, we want to make them smile.”

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

Development

BY JAMES T. NORMAN

Manvel City Council moved forward with the largest bid-out project in the city’s history, approving a $40 million contract for a new wastewater treatment plant on May 20. The new plant will sit across from the city’s current plant on Corporate Drive and will be capable of handling 1 million gallons of water per day, or MGD, according to city documents. That will be paired with the city’s existing plant, which is capable of 0.5 MGD, making the two plants capable of handling 1.5 MGD in total, documents show. The long-term plan calls for continuing to expand the new facility over time, Manvel approves $40M contract for wastewater plant

Dig deeper

POLLARD BLVD.

New facility

The project has been in the works for years, with design dating back as far as three years ago, Johnson said. In September, officials pointed to the city’s growing population, which data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows more than doubled from 2012 to 2022, for why the project was needed. Along with wastewater flow expected to increase, wastewater connections in the city are projected to increase by more than 370% from 2021 to 2041—up from 6,783 to 31,953—according to data from the city.

Current facility

CORPORATE DR.

eventually up to 4-5 MGD, and at some point decommissioning the existing plant, Manvel Mayor Dan Davis confirmed May 22. Davis said there’s not a set date for work to begin but believes it could start in the summer after the contract is signed. Officials said it would take 30 months to build out. The plant will service the central and eastern parts of the city, city documents show. The $40 million for the new plant will be paid for through bonds. To fit the cost within that total, some items were altered, such as the lift station, City Manager Dan Johnson said at the May 20 meeting.

Manvel wastewater flow

2.1 MGD 2021

2041* 10.1 MGD

+380.95%

*PROJECTED

SOURCE: CITY OF MANVEL/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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