Ascension officials turned the soil for its new Ascension Seton Health Center at at 5225 Overpass Road, Buda, on Wednesday during a groundbreaking ceremony. According to Ascension Texas Chief Strategy Officer Ray Anderson, the outpatient center will be an approximately 20,000 square-foot facility that will include primary care, urgent care, women's care and specialty care with a focus in dermatology, pediatrics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and gastric and digestive illness care. The Buda health center is considered an extension of Seton Medical Center Hays, which Ascension also owns. Ascension is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit and Catholic health care systems, and it owns Dell Children’s Medical Center Of Central Texas, Seton Family of Hospitals and Providence Healthcare Network.
The $14.5 million center will also have on-site lab testing, walk-in services, extended hours and telehealth in dermatology, psychiatry and neurology. Anderson added that during its initial configuration at least 50 new jobs will be added to the Buda area. “We monitor very closely what the population growths is and where there is a gap in services,” Anderson said. “We’re certainly experiencing tremendous growth in that area (Hays County), and what we want to do is provide an appropriate health care environment in the south markets so individuals can get care closer to home without having to travel into Austin.” On the same day, Baylor Scott & White Health broke ground on its first full-service hospital in Buda across the street and St. David's Healthcare announced it would begin construction on its new emergency center in Buda. With Seton Medical Center Hays in Kyle and this new medical center being built in Buda, Anderson said Ascension will continue to monitor cities such as San Marcos, Wimberley and Dripping Springs for future development. Anderson said construction in Buda is expected to begin immediately to meet its grand opening deadline of early spring 2019.