1949
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic began in 1949 when Dr. Mavis P. Kelsey, a fifth-generation Texan, decided to return to Texas and the newly emerging Texas Medical Center. Dr. Kelsey held a prestigious position at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He was impressed by the Mayo Clinic model of combining primary and specialty medical services in one location. Kelsey-Seybold Clinic was the first of its kind in the Houston area to bring specialists, general practitioners, nurses and other caregivers together as a team to provide the best possible care.
1953
Dr. Kelsey’s brother, John R. Kelsey Jr., another Mayo-trained physician and a specialist in Gastroenterology, joined the practice in 1953. Also joining the multispecialty team in the 1950s were a psychiatrist, cardiologist and rheumatologist. In 1953, Kelsey-Seybold doctors began rotations at area hospitals, including Hermann Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
1956
On Dec. 15, 1956, the Kelsey and Leary Foundation for the Advancement of Medicine was established to provide scholarships and financial support for research. The Kelsey Foundation, as it is known today, is involved in a variety of research projects with universities, pharmaceutical companies, government bodies and hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. Research areas include cancer, epilepsy, cardiology, diabetes and obstetrics.
1957
On March 6, 1957, the Clinic moved into a new building at 6655 Travis with ample space for exam areas, X-ray room and laboratory. Dr. William Seybold, who had left the practice for a few years, returned in 1961, and the Kelsey-Leary-Seybold Clinic was established.
1960s
During the 1960s, new specialists and departments were added. The rapidly expanding Radiology department added lab technicians, while the multispecialty team continued to grow with the addition of a pediatrician and otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose and Throat specialist). New departments included Pediatrics, Rheumatology, Dermatology, Urology, Ophthalmology and Dentistry.
1964
In 1964, the Clinic moved into new facilities at 6624 Fannin, which later became the site for the 29-story St. Luke’s Tower. Dr. Leary joined the staff of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 1965 and the Clinic’s name was changed to Kelsey-Seybold Clinic.
Also in 1964, Dr. Mavis Kelsey hired Agnes (Aggie) Greer as his nurse. She met Dr. Kelsey four years earlier when she worked for Texas Governor William P. Hobby, one of Dr. Kelsey’s patients. Like so many of the original doctors, nurses and support staff, Aggie stayed with the Clinic for most of her medical career.
1966
In 1966, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic became the first contract medical service provider for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Dr. Stanton P. Fischer, a pulmonologist, joined the staff a year earlier and assisted in providing executive physical examinations on NASA employees and other contractors.
1970s
Among the many patients who came to Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in the late ‘60s and ‘70s were entertainers like Roy Rogers and international patients from Saudi Arabia, India and Africa. More Latin Americans visited Kelsey-Seybold Clinic than any other U.S. clinic during this period.
1971
In 1971, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic opened its first neighborhood location on Post Oak in the Galleria area. Success resulted in other locations being operated in downtown Houston, Sugar Land, The Woodlands and by Intercontinental Airport. Today, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic operates 21 multispecialty clinics in Houston area neighborhoods.
1978
In 1978, Dr. James C. Hoyle joined the Pediatrics staff. Today, Dr. Hoyle is Medical Director, Clinical Operations.
1979
Dr. William Seybold retired in 1979.
1980/1981
In 1980 and 1981, two more distinguished physicians joined Kelsey-Seybold Clinic: Dr. Spencer R. Berthelsen, an internist, and Dr. John I. Hughes, a gastroenterologist. Today, Dr. Berthelsen is Chairman of the Board of Managers and Managing Director of Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. Dr. Hughes is Associate Medical Director of Clinical Academic Affairs and Affiliations.
1986
In 1986, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic sold its 6624 Fannin building to St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and moved into a temporary location in the Doctor’s Center.
Dr. Mavis Kelsey retired.
1994-1998
Eight Kelsey-Seybold Fellows were inducted in recognition of their contributions to Kelsey-Seybold: Dr. James Kemper (1994), Dr. Mavis Kelsey, Dr. James Smith and Breaux Castleman (1995), Dr. Stanton Fischer and Vicki Buxton (1996), Dr. Don Owens (1997) and Dr. Earl Beard (1998).
1999
In 1999, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic moved into its state-of-the-art Main Campus at 2727 West Holcombe Blvd. The 400,000-square-foot Main Campus building provides primary and specialty care in a single location. It has an outpatient surgery center, an urgent care center, on-site pharmacy, spacious waiting areas, expanded Radiology Department with MRI, a full-service cafeteria and free parking.
2002-2005
The following new Fellows were honored: Dr. Carlos Taboada and Dr. James Boland (2002), Dr. David Mouton (2003), and Dr. James Hoyle and Enoch Freeman (2005).
2005
Kelsey-Seybold opened the 75,000 square-foot state-of-the-art Fort Bend Medical and Diagnostic Center, offering access to a wide range of primary care and specialty care doctors, expanded pharmacy with drive-thru services, and enhanced diagnostic services such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomography (CT), mammography and X-ray.
2007
In October 2007, our founder, Dr. Mavis Kelsey, celebrated his 95th birthday. His vision of combining the expertise of specialists, with the close personal care of a family doctor has been achieved. Kelsey-Seybold Clinic is a renowned multispecialty practice and one of the largest and most experienced providers of medical care in Houston and the Southwest.
The 28,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Kelsey-Seybold Clinic – Cypress and Kelsey Pharmacy opened in Northwest Houston.
KelseyCare Powered by Cigna was launched. This accountable care health insurance plan offers patients—through their employers—reduced costs and improved care by emphasizing preventive services, using automated best practice alerts, and coordinated care to avoid duplication of services.
Dr. Michael Newmark was recognized as a Kelsey-Seybold Fellow.
2008
In January, Houston’s oldest multispecialty group practice introduced KelseyCare Advantage, its own Medicare Advantage health plan, to take the place of government health insurance programs for seniors.
In April, Kelsey-Seybold ushered in its 18th location – Kelsey-Seybold Clinic at The Vintage – to meet the demand for medical services in Houston's booming northwest suburbs. The 60,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art medical and diagnostic facility and pharmacy is located between Cypresswood and Louetta off of Highway 249.
2009
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic proudly celebrated 60 years of caring in 2009 and Dr. Mavis Kelsey’s vision of a premier medical group combining Family and Internal Medicine with the highly focused expertise of specialists in all medical fields.
Kelsey-Seybold invested $25 million in an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system that links Kelsey-Seybold physicians throughout all locations, allowing physicians to contribute to and view the same medical record for each patient. This facilitates ease of consultation and care coordination.
In May, Kelsey-Seybold launched MyKelseyOnline, an online tool allows patients to:
- Email their doctor’s office from a computer or mobile device.
- Make appointments with Kelsey-Seybold primary care physicians and specialists.
- View their health summary, current medications and most lab and test results.
- Request prescription refills from the Kelsey Pharmacy.
- Request updates to insurance and personal information.
- Pay bills online.
Kelsey-Seybold Chairman Dr. Spencer Berthelsen was honored as a Kelsey-Seybold Fellow.
2010
In 2010, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic opened its 19th location at Shadow Creek Ranch in Pearland and its 20th location at Cinco Ranch in Katy, Texas.
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic topped the list of Texas physicians nationally recognized for excellence in diabetes care when 72 Kelsey-Seybold physicians achieved the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) highest level of certification for excellence in diabetes care.
This same year, Kelsey-Seybold went live with its conversion from paper records to an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. In addition to fostering effective care coordination, Kelsey-Seybold’s EMR enables after-hours access, interface with hospital EMRs and clinical decision support, which means relevant information about treatments, medications and medical history pops up on the screen when patient information is entered into the system.
2011
The first quarter marked three new beginnings for the Clinic. Kelsey-Seybold opened its 13th pharmacy, Kelsey Pharmacy - Downtown in January, relocated its downtown location to The Shops at Houston Center and opened its Kelsey-Seybold Sleep Center.
In December, 45 Kelsey-Seybold physicians were recognized for providing outstanding cardiovascular and stroke care by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) Heart/Stroke Recognition Program. Kelsey-Seybold physicians account for nearly half of all NCQA-recognized heart/stroke physicians in the state of Texas.
John Sperry and Dr. John Hughes were inducted as Kelsey-Seybold Fellows.
Kelsey-Seybold’s model of coordinated care was featured in the
New York Times.
The City of Houston was welcomed as a KelseyCare powered by Cigna client.
2012
The Kelsey-Seybold Breast Cancer Support Group marked its fifth anniversary.
In May, MyKelseyOnline reached 150,000 members and continues to grow.
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic’s Sleep Center received accreditation from the Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).