Children’s at Legacy in Plano now open

Hospital opens ED, inpatient and surgical services

When an infant's fever spikes and he's unresponsive, time is of the essence. When this happened to 1-year-old Keegan Harrison, his parents rushed him to the Emergency Department at Children's Medical Center at Legacy in Plano, which had opened three days earlier.

Had the Plano family driven to the Emergency Department at Children's Dallas, it would have taken longer than an hour in morning traffic. Maddie and Gray Harrison were familiar with that drive — they had driven to the Dallas campus many times before. Keegan received a heart transplant at Children's Dallas when he was 7 days old and only 5 pounds, making him the smallest and youngest patient in Texas to ever receive a heart transplant.

When Keegan suddenly became sick this fall, it took just minutes to get him to the hospital at Legacy.

"It took us longer to load him in the car and take him out of his car seat than it did for us to drive to Children's at Legacy,"Maddie Harrison said. "And just to know he was going to be under the care of people who knew how to treat him meant a lot to me."

Doctors treated Keegan for an infection that caused his fever. He continues to be monitored by physicians.

"We have never felt like we were going through it alone,"Gray Harrison said. "The staff at Children's have felt it with us every step of the way. They have been so excited to see him pull through.”

"Keegan is very easygoing and open to everyone, but he's a fighter at heart.”

Comprehensive, pediatric-focused care

For nearly a century, Children's has understood that kids are not small adults. Children's at Legacy has expanded on this foundation with the opening of inpatient, surgical and emergency services, making it the only stand-alone pediatric hospital in North Dallas dedicated exclusively to serving the unique medical needs of children from birth to 18.

Building on the hospital's 95-year history, inpatient services at Children's at Legacy features:

• 36 inpatient beds
• Emergency services with 24-7 coverage
• Surgical services with 36 surgeons and four operating rooms
• Dedicated pediatric transport services

Radiology and Laboratory services

Ancillary services such as Laboratory and Radiology, which had served patients at the Ambulatory Care Pavilion at Legacy since April 7, now provides 24-hour coverage. The hospital also offers nearly two dozen other outpatient services at the pavilion, including behavioral health, ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) and Cardiology.

Dr. Vijay Kalidindi, director of the hospitalist program at Children's at Legacy, treated the first inpatient at the hospital. "Everyone working Children's at Legacy has a smile on their face and is eager to serve patients in our community,"Kalidindi said. "This is the beginning of great things to come for Children's at Legacy and we are all happy to be part of it.”

To find Children's Medical Center at Legacy, call 469-303-7000 or view the map and directions.

Tags: legacy, heart transplant, emergency department, childrens at legacy, childrens dallas, north dallas, plano