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The Center for Children and Women is closing

Both locations of The Center for Children and Women will be closing. The Greenspoint location will close December 1, 2023 and the Southwest location will close on June 30, 2024. These closures will not change your coverage with Texas Children's Health Plan. If you have questions about your care, please contact The Center for Children and Women at 832-828-1005. If you have questions about your coverage or for help picking a new doctor, call Texas Children’s Health Plan at 1-866-959-6555 (CHIP) or 1-866-959- 2555 (STAR) or 1-800-659-5764 (STAR Kids).

You can get more information by visiting our frequently asked questions.

Postpartum Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Extension Update

Starting March 1, 2024. The Texas Health and Human Services (HSS) is extending its postpartum coverage from 2 to 12 months for eligible women. The 12 months of postpartum coverage begins the month after pregnancy has ended. Patients don’t need to apply to extend coverage.

Coverage will be reinstated for those who lost coverage and still fall in the eligibility period.

You should receive a notice from the state through mail or you can log into your Texas Benefits account to check your coverage.

Click here for the FAQ.

To learn more, visit the HHS Medicaid for Pregnant Women and CHIP Perinatal webpage.

Medicaid Coverage Alert

Don't lose your health coverage! We don’t want to lose you as a patient! New rules will require you to renew your Medicaid plan. Learn more

Avni Bhalakia

Specialty

Pediatrics

Location

Avni Bhalakia, MD

Dr. Avni Bhalakia is a board-certified pediatrician committed to improving the health and lives of children. She received her medical degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and completed her Pediatrics Residency at Hasbro Children’s Hospital/Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Bhalakia has practiced pediatrics in a variety of settings. She has worked in hospital medicine in The Bronx, New York, and served with the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) as a Global Health Corps Physician and director of a community health worker program in Lilongwe, Malawi. Dr. Bhalakia joined The Center for Children and Women – Southwest in 2017 and is passionate about providing high quality care to children and their families.