COVER STORY · JULY 2017
Pediatric Urologists Omar Cruz-Diaz, MD
(left), and Leon Smith-Harrison, MD, are
dedicated to bringing the best care possible
to their patients in the Rio Grande Valley.
“Adding urodynamic testing to the McAllen clinic
makes it more accessible to the community and
it means quicker and more efficient care for the
patients,” said Pediatric Urologist Leon Smith-
Harrison, MD, one of two Driscoll Children’s
Hospital urologists who travel to the Valley to see
patients.
“Having urodynamic testing offered in McAllen
will be of great benefit for many of our patients
in the Rio Grande Valley area that up to this point
needed to travel to our clinic in Corpus Christi to
have the testing done. Providing this care locally
in McAllen will increase treatment compliance and
therefore will improve the care to our patients,”
said Pediatric Urologist Omar Cruz-Diaz, MD.
“Most of the patients requiring urodynamic testing
need close follow-up, sometimes repeating studies
every 6-12 months in order to monitor changes in
the functionality, elasticity, capacity, contractility,
etc., that could affect renal function. Detecting
these changes on time decreases chances of
infections, renal failure, hemodialysis and kidney
transplantation,” said Dr. Cruz-Diaz.
UD testing will be available in McAllen in August.
The tests will be administered by Driscoll nurse
practitioners Natalie Barganski, RN, CPNP, and
Melissa Miller, RN, FNP-C, and the results will
be read by Drs. Smith-Harrison and Cruz-Diaz.
Primary care physicians can’t schedule a UD test,
so patients must first be evaluated by a urologist.
DRISCOLL
UROLOGY CLINICS
OFFER COMPREHENSIVE
CARE FOR CHILDREN
B
ig things are in store for the
Urology Clinic at Driscoll
Children’s Medical Plaza –
McAllen (1120 East Ridge Road),
with the upcoming inclusion of
urodynamic testing at the clinic.
The children of the Rio Grande Valley will benefit
greatly from the establishment of urodynamic
In addition to the McAllen clinic, Driscoll Children’s
Hospital has Urology clinics at Driscoll Children’s
Specialty Center – Brownsville (5500 North
Expressway 77), Driscoll Children’s Specialty
Center – Harlingen (2121 Pease St., Medical Arts
Pavilion, Suite 600), Driscoll Children’s Specialty
Center – Laredo (7210 McPherson Road, Suite 104,
Building A), Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus
Christi (3533 South Alameda St., Furman Building,
Suite 301), and Driscoll Children’s Specialty Center
– Victoria (115 Medical Drive, Suite 201).
In the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Smith-Harrison sees
patients in McAllen, while Dr. Cruz-Diaz sees
patients in McAllen, Brownsville and Laredo.
Drs. Smith-Harrison and Cruz-Diaz are proud of all
their staff at the various Valley clinics.
testing at Driscoll’s Urology Clinic in McAllen, since “We have a fantastic staff that begins with
it will be the first pediatric-focused clinic in the Rio our receptionists who answer the calls. Our
Grande Valley to offer the testing.
medical assistants, registered nurses and nurse
practitioners screen and address our patients’
Urodynamic testing is a study tha