Joel W. Steelman, MD

Joel W. Steelman, M.D. grew up a military brat on the move every three to four years to a new home in a different state. Nevertheless, his family roots remained in Texas where he finished high school and attended Texas A&M University both for his undergraduate and medical degrees.

During his second year of medical school, Dr. Steelman realized he had a passion for caring for children. He joined the U.S. Air Force while in medical school and worked as a general pediatrician for four years after completing his pediatric residency. His work with diabetic children, as well as encouragement from endocrine mentors, sparked his decision to leave the military and pursue endocrine subspecialty training.

He trained in pediatric endocrinology at the University of Colorado Children's Hospital, where the magnificent setting turned Dr. Steelman into a lifelong outdoor sport enthusiast, with a strong desire to lead a healthy life. He regularly returns to the West with family and enjoys hiking, skiing, and mountain biking.

While in Colorado, Dr. Steelman developed an interest in care and research in the area of bone disorders, and he began to treat children with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease - a rare, crippling malady. After completing his endocrinology training, He left the West to enter academic medicine at Vanderbilt Children's hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, continuing his work in patient care, teaching, and research.

The desire to be closer to family brought Dr. Steelman back home to Texas in 2008 to Cook Children's. The growth in the endocrine team has allowed him to expand his emphasis in care of special pediatric endocrine populations in subspecialty clinics including the endocrine bone health clinic, endocrine cancer survivor clinic, growth clinic, and Life After Cancer program.

Outside of Cook Children's, Dr. Steelman is involved in pediatric endocrine advocacy and education. He serves on the board of directors for the non-profit organizations Human Growth Foundation and PESTOLA. He regularly speaks and organizes educational programs on behalf of these organizations.

Dr. Steelman is married and enjoys spending time with family, especially spending time outdoors.