Nurse Launches First African American-owned Children Hospital In Texas

Posted by Eric Ojo Latest Headlines, U.S./Canada Sunday, August 21st, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – La Tosha Holmes, a Certified Nurse Practitioner (CPNP-PC) from Webster, has inaugurated iCare Pediatrics, the first ever African American-owned Pediatric practice in Galveston County, Texas, which is just 30 minutes away from Houston.

iCare Pediatrics is located at 218 Nasa Parkway, Webster, Texas 77598, and serves patients from birth to 21 years old. Services include Sports Physicals, Newborn Well Visits, Wellness Exams, Teen Counseling, Immunizations, Dental Clearance Exams, Asthma Management, & Obesity Management.

Holmes, a single mother of two, who at 42 years old, graduated from the University of Texas School of Nursing when she was just 27 years old.

The Certified Nur said she wanted to start her own practice to help bridge the gap in healthcare for Black and Brown children. Because of this, her practice is conveniently open from 8am to 8pm to accommodate parents who work a 9 to 5 shift.

She noted that with every news article, book, social media post that you read, there will be an astounding deficit as it relates to black and brown children and health care.

“We know that Infant Mortality Rates (IMR) among black infants are more than 2.5 times that of white infants (Singh & van Dyck, 2010). If we are to be successful in eliminating disparities in health [for children of color], we must first and foremost care enough (National Academies Press, 2009)”, she said.

Holmes has been practicing in the world of pediatric healthcare for over 15 years. During that time, she has worked for several well-known children’s healthcare institutions. It was the long hours spent caring for pediatric patients within these facilities, that she realized, there was a gap when it came to children of color.

She noticed that these children were not cared for the same, their parents weren’t always treated with dignity and respect, and that root traumas were not being addressed. Thus, she began to develop a plan to create change and iCare Pediatrics was born.

iCare Pediatrics started as a virtual practice offering, telemedicine, and home visits to patients before the pandemic. Fast-forward to 2021, Holmes took the leap and decided to give iCare Pediatrics a permanent location in Webster, TX. Offering flexible hours Monday-Friday from 8am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 8am to noon, her practice hopes to make it easier for families who lead untraditional lives with untraditional schedules.

“Every time I walk into a patient’s room, I walk in leading with love, care, skill, and expertise, says Practitioner Holmes. I have two young daughters myself, and with each patient, I strive to provide the same level of care that I provide to my own children. Additionally, it is my goal to listen to their families and provide a wealth of knowledge to those in my community”, she added.