AUSTIN, Texas — The Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas at Austin will receive a $280 million expansion to further address the medical needs in Central Texas.
Ascension Seton announced the expansion on Monday. The expansion will help increase bed capacity and square footage to allow for more care at the region's only Level 1 Trauma Center.
“We are proud of this expansion of Dell Seton Medical Center as Ascension Seton builds on our world-class teaching facility, Level I Trauma and burn center and prestigious Magnet® designation awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center,” said Andy Davis, president & CEO of Ascension Texas. “We look forward to providing even more capabilities and infrastructure to expand access to high-quality, individualized care for all in Central Texas.”
The expansion will include:
- 150 more beds
- 160,000 square feet
- Six new operating rooms, with pre-operation and PACU spaces
- Inpatient rehabilitation gym
- On-call suites
- ICU expansion
- Clinical and outpatient spaces
- Neurology, wound and burn care, oncology and abdominal transplant facilities
- Complex digestive health capabilities
The new addition will be added on top of the three-floor building – creating four new stories at the patient tower on 1500 Red River St.
"It is important to meet the population demand about the growing needs of the communities we serve and so this is an investment we are able to continue doing that,” said Adam Messer, president of Dell Seton Medical Center at UT.
Doctors at Dell Seton Medical Center provided input on the clinical, emergency care and both inpatient and outpatient needs to the developers of the expansion.
Construction is expected to start in late 2023 and be completed in 2025.
“We are grateful for the investment being made by Ascension Seton and what it means for the people of Central Texas seeking healthcare, as well as advancing our joint commitment to the teaching hospital,” said Claudia Lucchinetti, dean of Dell Medical School and senior vice president of medical affairs at UT.
PHOTOS: Ascension Seton announces expansion of Dell Seton Medical Center
Back in 2017, Ascension Seton put $310 million into creating a "state-of-the-art" facility that would serve as the only adult Level 1 Trauma Center – which serves an 11-county area, according to a press release. Additionally, the hospital is a teaching hospital that pairs with UT's medical school's clinical physician practice.
Furthermore, the medical center has been referred to as the safety net hospital for Travis County that serves "our community members with the greatest needs and least resources," the release stated.
The hospital has provided 615,537 patient encounters for those that are in the "vulnerable population," as 40 to 45% of all patients that receive care at Dell Seton are uninsured or underinsured.
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