The crowd gathered at the new UTMB Alvin Clinic Nov. 12 was full of Alvin dignitaries, UTMB leaders and many friends and well-wishers from throughout the community. Others attending the ribbon-cutting included city council members, EMS personnel, patients and several private-practice Alvin physicians who stopped in to get a look at the spacious $2.4 million facility.
The new 10,000-square-foot building is home to UTMB’s Pediatric and Adult Primary Care Clinic at 2020 East Highway 6 in Alvin.
The new facility replaces the UTMB Pediatric Clinic at 218 House Street, where Dr. Syed Kazmi, the director of the clinic, and his colleagues served the community for 17 years. Before that, when Kazmi introduced UTMB pediatric services to Alvin in 1995, he worked alone from a tiny 900-square-foot clinic building for two years.
The new clinic is more than 10 times bigger than that first space and three times bigger than the most recent one. It has five new staff members, 24 exam rooms, expanded X-ray services and a full blood-draw station. The clinic has also extended its hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and has added primary care for adults as well as children.
The ceremony included remarks by Kazmi along with Alvin Mayor Paul Horn, UTMB CEO Donna Sollenberger and UTMB President David Callender. The ribbon-cutting, officiated by Alvin Chamber of Commerce officers, followed the remarks. After the ribbon cutting, guests enjoyed a reception and informal tours of the facility.
The day after the ceremony, Kazmi met with Horn and his staff to talk about the new clinic. “The mayor was very impressed with the beauty and scope of the building, and with UTMB’s commitment to the Alvin community,” said Kazmi. “He’s hoping the relationship can continue to grow.”
“This is probably the best building in Alvin,” said Kazmi. “It’s so beautiful and modern with a very serene ambience. It’s wonderful for the morale of everyone involved, from the staff to the patients to all the members of the community. We could not be more thrilled about this dream coming to life.”