AUSTIN, Texas — St. David's HealthCare is making a major investment in Central Texas' health care infrastructure.
The health care system announced Tuesday that it will invest nearly $1 billion to build two new acute care hospitals, expand capacity and services at existing facilities and construct a new behavioral health hospital.
David Huffstutler, president and CEO of St. David's HealthCare, said that even before the pandemic, there was a need for more physical capacity and additional services in the system's existing hospitals. And as the area continues to boom, the need for health care grows too.
"As the population growth in Central Texas continues to expand into outlying areas, this has created the need for us to establish additional sites of care in those areas. These needs will only increase in the future with the ongoing, rapid growth of Central Texas," Huffstutler said. "As a result, we are initiating plans to build two new hospitals, embarking on the construction of a new behavioral health hospital, as well as plans for multiple expansion and renovation projects to ensure we can continue our mission to provide exceptional care to every patient every day."
St. David's HealthCare said it has already invested more than $2.5 billion over the past 25 years to expand and develop its facilities. This new $953 million investment will include:
- $142.5 million for a new full-service, acute care hospital in Leander
- $185 million for a new full-service, acute care hospital in the Kyle area
- $33.8 million for a new 80-bed behavioral health hospital near St. David’s North Austin Medical Center
- $145.9 million for renovation and expansion at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center
- $249 million for renovation and expansion at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center
- $53.1 million for expansion at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center
- $20.9 million for expansion at Heart Hospital of Austin
- $43 million for renovation and expansion at St. David’s Medical Center
- $80 million for construction of future capacity at local hospitals
We broke down what these investments will include.
New hospital in Leander
St. David's said it will soon begin the third phase of its plan for a medical complex on San Gabriel Parkway in Leander. The first two phases of development included the construction of a freestanding emergency center and a medical office building, both of which are currently open. The third phase includes a $142.5 million investment for a full-service hospital.
The 150,000-square-foot facility will include a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient and outpatient surgery, robotics services, critical care capabilities and maternity and newborn services. Construction will begin this year and is expected to be complete by 2024.
St. David's said the Leander hospital will initially open with 34 beds with room for growth. The hospital's opening is expected to create approximately 200 new full-time positions.
New hospital in the Kyle area
Meanwhile, St. David's is also in the process of acquiring land in the Kyle area to build a full-service acute care hospital. The 160,000-square-foot facility will include 34 beds with room for growth and will offer the same services as the Leander hospital.
The Kyle hospital is expected to open in 2024, creating about 200 new full-time jobs.
New behavioral health hospital in Austin
Additionally, St. David's is investing $33.8 million to build an 80-bed behavioral health hospital, with space to add an additional dozen beds in the future. The hospital will be located near St. David's North Austin Medical Center and will provide mental health services for adolescent, adult and senior patients.
The 63,000-square-foot facility will include indoor and outdoor therapy areas, a separate adolescent area and outpatient services. It is expected to open in 2024 and will be designed for future expansion as needs grow, according to St. David's. The hospital's opening is set to create more than 200 jobs.
Expansion at existing facilities
St. David's North Austin Medical Center
This facility is undergoing a $145.9 million renovation and expansion that includes the St. David's Women's Center of Texas and the hospital's main tower.
St. David's said the expansion of the Women's Center of Texas will be completed in two phases. The first will include the renovation of 28,325 square feet that will add 30 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) beds. The second phase will add three additional floors and include a 166,369-square-foot expansion, including four C-section operating rooms, 36 labor and delivery beds, 24 antepartum beds and 32 full-time nursery beds.
The final phase of this project is expected to be completed in 2023.
Elsewhere, the North Austin Medical Center is also adding 21,214 square feet to its main tower, including 32 medical/surgical patient rooms and 438 more parking spaces. This expansion is set to be completed this year.
St. David's South Austin Medical Center
St. David's is currently completing an $81 million expansion at its South Austin Medical Center. The expansion includes a buildout of the seventh floor medical/surgical space, a women's services unit and a new parking garage.
Construction has been completed on the medical/surgical space and the parking garage, adding 34 more patient beds and 700 more parking spots.
St. David's said the renovation of the women's services unit will begin this year, starting with the conversion of several existing postpartum rooms into labor/delivery/recovery/postpartum rooms. There will also be a renovation of the C-section suites and the nearby 11-bed medical/surgical unit will be fully renovated to be used as postpartum rooms.
Additionally, St. David's is investing $168 million in the future expansion of the South Austin Medical Center, to be completed in 2024. That expansion will include 30 new patient beds, four new operating rooms and support space and a 24-bed rehabilitation unit.
Heart Hospital of Austin
St. David's said the Heart Hospital of Austin is currently completing a $20.9 million capital expansion, the majority of which was completed last fall. The hospital has added 14 progressive care units, increasing bed capacity by nearly 25%. The hospital is also expanding its support services, including dietary, laboratory and pharmacy services.
St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
St. David's is investing $53.1 million in a capital expansion project at the Round Rock Medical Center, including the operating room and patient care room facility. The project will begin this year and will include two additional floors featuring a 34-bed patient care unit, four additional operating rooms and support spaces.
St. David's Medical Center
St. David's will invest nearly $18 million at the St. David's Rehabilitation Hospital to construct a new floor that will add 20 more patient beds. Other renovations will include the restoration of a therapeutic pool.
St. David's will also invest $7.5 million to develop St. David's Medical Center's specialty unit for women's oncology. The investment will include the renovation of 23 patient rooms and the construction of 15 additional post-operative patient rooms.
Finally, St. David's will invest $17.5 million to renovate its women’s services unit at St. David’s Medical Center.
These St. David's Medical Center projects are estimated to be completed next year.
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