St. David's HealthCare will invest $1 billion to fund the construction of two hospitals in Central Texas.
Austin ABC affiliate KVUE reported the investment will pave the way for two acute care hospitals: One that will be built in Kyle while Leander is the chosen location for the other.
The investment also involves expansion and renovation efforts for existing facilities, as well as the addition of a new behavioral health hospital.
"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,” St. David's HealthCare President and CEO David Huffstutler told KVUE. “These needs will only increase in the future with the ongoing, rapid growth of Central Texas. 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."
With the inclusion of this investment totaling exactly $953 million, St. David's HealthCare has invested over $2.5 billion in the last quarter century.
Huffstutler said the hospitals upon completion will generate 200 new jobs in the area, stating St. David’s has had time to strategize staffing, according to CBS Austin.
"We have great relationships with a lot of clinical training programs in the community, especially the nursing programs, we've had long associations with UT, A&M and St. David's School of Nursing at Texas Sate," he told the station.
Austin City Councilwoman Vanessa Fuentes, who serves as vice-chair of the city council’s public health committee, hailed the announcement as it would give residents in Southeast Austin access to basic health care.
"We have families who have been living is southeast Austin for decades, and we have yet to see a single hospital in our area," Fuentes told CBS Austin.