Clinic

The Blue Bird Circle Clinic for Pediatric Neurology at Texas Children's Hospital

The clinic is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric neurological problems providing a comprehensive program that addresses developmental and neuromuscular problems. Social Services include counseling for patients and their families to aid in the understanding and management of the social and emotional problems. Assistance is provided in accessing community, public and private support services as well as liaison services with schools. Neuropsychological, intellectual and psychoeducational assessments are available.

The Clinic is a physician or medical agency referral clinic that sees patients from birth to sixteen years of age.

Beginning in 1993, Circle leaders sensed that changes in the medical managed care field might impact the Clinic. A task force was created in the spring of 1997 to study the issue and provide up-to-date information to the membership. A recommendation from this group led to the selection of a consultant to help determine the best way to insure the continuing viability of the Clinic. After a year and a half of dedicated and devoted study and decision making, the task force, composed of twelve Blue Bird members, recommended that the Clinic form a new association with Texas Children’s Hospital. An agreement with Texas Children’s Hospital was approved by the membership on June 30, 1998. In March, 2000, The Blue Bird Circle voted to be supportive of the “Building for Children” campaign of the Texas Children’s Hospital by pledging $500,000 to the fund which will provide for the magnificent new building in the Texas Children’s Hospital complex that will house the new Blue Bird Clinic. At the time of the move in the fall of 2001, the formal name of our clinic became The Blue Bird Clinic for Pediatric Neurology at Texas Children’s Hospital.

The Circle had entered the world of managed care by national decree. We have been blessed by our association with the Methodist Hospital, and deeply regret that our long affiliation has ended. We have shared a common heritage, growing and developing together through seventy-five years. There has always been a concern of both for the welfare of the other, and we leave this chapter of the Clinic’s history with wonderful memories and with the best wishes of The Methodist Hospital.

Since affiliating with Texas Children’s Hospital in 1998, The Blue Bird Circle has supported The Blue Bird Clinic at TCH with more than $6,000,000 in grants as well as numerous volunteer hours. The Clinic is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric neurological problems providing a comprehensive program that addresses developmental and neuromuscular problems. Having counseling and social work professionals on staff to assist with the myriad needs associated with raising a child with one of these disorders is a priority of The Blue Bird Circle. All attempts are made to access available resources for patients with limited financial means. The Clinic as of 2007 has expanded in amazing proportions and is seeing approximately 12,000 children per year. We expect to see more than 14,000 children in 2008. Dr. Robert Zeller is the Medical Director of The Blue Bird Clinic.

The Neurogenetics Laboratory works to discover the genes and mechanisms underlying childhood epilepsy and to improve the lives of affected children by developing more accurate ways of diagnosing and treating childhood neurological problems at the earliest possible stage. The Blue Bird research team has made critical breakthroughs in epilepsy, including the identification of more than 25 genes related to common childhood seizures. In the late 1990’s, the Laboratory created a national family research partnership program to discover families with a history of epilepsy. It continues to expand its basic research program with the development of a state-of-the-art molecular facility. The Laboratory has received numerous international leadership and training awards and actively collaborates with many biomedical research centers worldwide. The outstanding reputation of the clinic and the laboratory led to the Epilepsy Association of America honoring the Blue Bird Circle with an Award for Excellence in its 25th Anniversary Program in 1993.

For a period of eighty four years, the Blue Bird Circle has earned its special place in the Houston scene. The Blue Bird Circle Clinic, The Blue Bird Circle Neurogenetics Laboratory and The Blue Bird Circle Rett Center at Baylor College of Medicine are regarded nationally as preeminent in the field of Neurology, and future growth is certain

As apt today as it was on Sunday, July 1, 1934, is a quotation from the speech made by Bishop A. Frank Smith on the occasion of ground breaking for the original Blue Bird Hospital: “Houston will be a better place to live because the Blue Birds have caught a vision of the spirit of God. At this beginning... there will be set in motion influences that will reach far beyond this community and outlast the life span of all those who are making possible this enterprise.”