St. David's HealthCare $275 Million Expansion Plans Include South Austin

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX -- St. David's Healthcare officials announced a two-year, $275 million capital investment in Central Texas Healthcare that includes a multimillion-dollar expansion of its South Austin Medical Center site.

At St. David's South Austin Medical Center, officials plan a $50 million capital expansion project, with expected completion next year.

"With programmatic growth in areas such as oncology and trauma at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center as well as the organic growth in the south of the market, St. David’s HealthCare is investing $50-million in a capital expansion project at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, which includes the hospital’s emergency department and patient care room capacity," hospital officials said.

Currently, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center’s emergency department (ED) is the largest-volume ED in Central Texas, serving approximately 110,000 patients per year, according to company officials.

"To accommodate this volume, the hospital will increase the size of the emergency department by nearly 14,000 square feet, including the addition of 16 beds and the expansion of other support functions in the emergency services area."

Additionally, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center will add 26,000 square feet, including a new 34-bed medical/surgical unit, to be developed as an additional floor on top of the hospital’s South Tower, hospital officials noted. Fifty new full-time employees will be added in the first year to support the increased services resulting from this expansion, they said.

That level of hiring is expected to double within five years.

The company also disclosed plans to build new hospitals in Leander and North Austin as part of the major expansion plans. To read about those plans, click here.

Officials noted that the $275-million investment will be paid with funds from St. David’s HealthCare operations. No debt would be issued to finance the expansion, nor will philanthropic dollars be utilized to help pay for the growth plans.