Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, part of Ascension Texas, is preparing to launch a stem cell transplant program, as noted by the Austin American-Statesman.

Once the program is accredited, the hospital will have the opportunity to participate in new clinical trials and treatments, according to Amir Mian, MD, Division Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the hospital and at the department of pediatrics at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas in Austin. Dr. Mian came to Austin in the summer after starting a similar pediatric program at the University of Arkansas and Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock.

“There’s going to be a tremendous amount of opportunity,” Dr. Mian told the American-Statesman. Children "will get all the treatment for their entire duration at home,” he said. “They wouldn't have to go anywhere else for a portion of their treatment. It will be right here.”

He said the hospital anticipates treating 10-12 patients a year once the accreditation process is completed in the next 12 to 16 months, with those numbers expected to grow 8% to 10% a year. Accreditation is through the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy.