Vannie Cook Children's Clinic

The mission of the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children’s Cancer and Hematology Clinic is to provide treatment to children in South Texas who suffer from cancer and blood disorders regardless of their ability to pay. It is the region’s first state-of-the-art pediatric hematology/oncology clinic and the only comprehensive pediatric cancer treatment facility in South Texas. Since 2001, 10,000 families have found the care they need right where they need it most, in their own backyard.

Prior to the creation of this program, families in the Rio Grande Valley were forced to drive either to San Antonio (five hours away) or to Houston (six hours away) to receive cancer treatment for their child. Since treatments can be necessary one or more times a week, the commute was a serious burden for families, often with dire consequences for the family or the child’s care.

The outpatient clinic is comprised of over 10,000 square feet of space with 2 waiting rooms, 7 exam rooms, 2 procedure rooms, 2 phlebotomy stations, 2 laboratories and a large infusion suite divided into areas for toddlers, young children and adolescents, respectively.

In addition to offering diagnostic and cancer treatment services, the clinic offers a long-term survivor program which follows childhood cancer survivors through adulthood, and conducts childhood cancer epidemiology research.

The clinic was created through a joint effort of the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center. Our goal is to ensure that local children who suffer from cancer and blood diseases receive the most up-to-date care and treatment without the need to leave the region and regardless of ability to pay.

Recent Videos