ST. LOUIS (July 7, 2026) – St. Louis Children’s Hospital and WashU Medicine are expanding access to nationally recognized pediatric care with a new outpatient specialty care center in Wentzville, Mo., bringing their combined expertise to families in western St. Charles County and surrounding communities. The center is projected to open in late 2027.
“Wentzville is a young, fast-growing community, and we are thrilled to join it,” said Trish Lollo, group president of BJC HealthCare and president of St. Louis Children’s Hospital, one of the nation’s premier pediatric hospitals. “Together with WashU Medicine pediatric specialists, we’ll bring compassionate, leading-edge care closer to where families live—ensuring that every child receives the individualized care they deserve.”
The new center builds on the longstanding partnership between St. Louis Children’s Hospital and WashU Medicine that has earned a reputation for excellence in pediatric care, research and innovation. In 2025, U.S. News & World Report once again recognized St. Louis Children’s Hospital—and the WashU Medicine physicians who provide care there—as one of America’s Best Children’s Hospitals, ranking St. Louis Children’s No. 1 in Missouri, No. 1 in St. Louis, and No. 3 in the Midwest. WashU Medicine physicians at St. Louis Children’s bring deep clinical expertise to pediatric patients, including those with rare and complex conditions who require specialized care. Their work is informed by the latest research discoveries and helps advance the standards of care locally and nationally.
Located at 45 Wentzville Parkway near the intersection of Hwy 61, the three-story, 133,000 square-foot center will offer pediatric primary care and advanced care across more than 20 specialties, including cardiology, hematology, oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, and orthopedics.
The design will be warm and inviting for children of all ages, with easily accessible parking and other amenities. The center also offers outpatient surgery, diagnostic testing and imaging, occupational and physical therapy services, audiology services, and pharmacy. Additional specialized services will include:
- Pediatric Urgent Care–The first pediatric urgent care for BJC HealthCare and WashU Medicine in the Wentzville area, it will provide timely evaluation and treatment for routine illnesses including the flu, bronchitis, and strep throat; minor injuries such as cuts and burns; sports-related injuries; and initial treatment for broken bones and joint sprains.
- Pediatric Sleep Lab–A four-bed overnight sleep lab is designed to diagnose and treat sleep apnea and other pediatric sleep disorders. It is the first Sleep Lab available at a Children’s Specialty Care Center.
- Young Athlete Center–A dedicated sports medicine and rehabilitation space, developed in collaboration with WashU Medicine Orthopedics, focused on injury treatment, prevention, and performance for young athletes.
“Our goal is to ensure that families in our region have access to the same exceptional pediatric specialists, innovative treatments, and coordinated care that define WashU Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital,” said Mark Lowe, MD, PhD, the interim head of the WashU Medicine Department of Pediatrics. “By extending our reach westward, we’re making it easier for children to receive the highest level of primary and specialty care without having to travel far from home.”
The Wentzville location is the third Specialty Care Center for Children’s and WashU Medicine in the St. Louis area. The first opened in 2015 near the intersection of Highway 40/64 and Mason Road in west St. Louis County. The second is in South County near I-55 and Butler Hill Road and opened in 2021.
About St. Louis Children’s Hospital
St. Louis Children’s Hospital is part of BJC Health, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States and has provided exceptional care for children from all 50 states and 80 countries around the world for more than 140 years. With its academic partner, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children’s is consistently ranked among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and earns national distinction for comprehensive services that include heart, cancer, neurology, and orthopedics. St. Louis Children’s is among an elite group of pediatric hospitals worldwide that have achieved a fifth consecutive, four-year Magnet Distinction® designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. St. Louis Children’s is also one of the few pediatric hospitals in the Midwest nationally recognized by the American College of Surgeons as a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, which is the highest classification of trauma care. To learn more, visit StLouisChildrens.org, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
About WashU Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 3,100 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 78% since 2016. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits over $1.6 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently among the top five in the country, with more than 2,550 faculty physicians practicing at 200 locations. WashU Medicine physicians exclusively staff Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals—the academic hospitals of BJC HealthCare—and Siteman Cancer Center, a partnership between BJC HealthCare and WashU Medicine and the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Missouri and southern Illinois. WashU Medicine physicians also treat patients at BJC’s community hospitals in our region. With a storied history in MD/PhD training, WashU Medicine recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.
