As Hays County continues to grow, Seton Medical Center Hays is expanding its women’s and brain and spine services.

Seton is currently in the design phase of its $14.1 million expansion of its women’s services, according to Kate Henderson, regional president of Seton Medical Center Hays, Seton Northwest Hospital, Seton Southwest Hospital and Seton Medical Center Williamson.

Construction is expected to be complete by spring 2019.

“We have a thriving obstetrics unit. We deliver about 1100 babies a year,” Henderson said. “Adding onto the current building increases our baby delivering capacity to 1800 babies a year. We are doing this to keep up with the growth occurring in the San Marcos, Buda and Kyle area.”

For its neurosurgical and trauma care services, Seton is adding a third neurosurgeon to its staff this summer, which Henderson said will build upon Seton Hays current neurology services, including its current surgical and stroke care services.

“When you start recruiting that many neurosurgeons, in addition to the traumatic neurosurgery that you may need in case of an injury, the same specialized capabilities for trauma allows us to have a foundation for our brain and spine program,” Henderson said. “With that we will be able to not just do the emergency trauma but also be able to do the significant neuroscience services including outpatient spine and back care, etcetera.”

As a result of its growing trauma services, Seton Hays, which moved up from being a level IV trauma center to level III in 2017, is on track to become a level II trauma center by Fall 2018.