HOUSTON-In a further expansion move in the health care advisory services field, Transwestern has hired Nelson Udstuen as a VP in the local office. The team handles 14 clients throughout city, including the Texas Medical Center, the largest collection of health care and medical research institutions in the world.

Prior to joining the firm, Udstuen served as VP with Colliers International. A spokeswoman with Colliers did not return a request for comment in time for this article.

Chip Clarke, president of Transwestern’s Gulf Coast and Mountain Region, tells GlobeSt.com that the company’s stable balance sheet during the recession allowed the firm to identify talent, especially with untouched markets like health care property. “The Texas Medical Center is one of the drivers of the Houston economy, along with oil and the Port of Houston,” he says.

The Transwestern team also handles clients such as St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System and Memorial Hermann, for a total of four million square feet of medical office space. “A lot of our clients are actively pursuing health care properties, whether they are outpatient surgery centers or medical office buildings. This is a real growing part of our business, for both investment and management of health care assets,” he says.