The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science took a step toward building its national profile and resources Thursday, announcing it has become the latest affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton joined Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis and other local dignitaries for the occasion. As a cardiologist and educator, Skorton has a soft spot for the Health Museum. He called it "an exemplar of a modern museum, using technology to bring science and medicine to life."