“When we originally did the site, demographics tended to skew a little bit older, so there was a lot more geriatric medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation,” said Ray Anderson, chief strategy officer for Ascension Texas. “As we look at more younger families coming down, we’re starting to add things like more family medicine, internal medicine, primary care, pediatrics.”
The Ascension Seton Hays Hospital, located at 6001 Kyle Parkway, Kyle, already received upgrades as part of a $15 million labor and delivery expansion in 2021, increasing both the number of annual deliveries the hospital can accommodate—from around 1,200 to 1,850—as well as refurbishing its NICU unit, Anderson said.
While that expansion did not increase the NICU’s capacity at the Hays hospital, Anderson said Ascension is in the process of evaluating patient flows and when a new wing or tower at the hospital would be appropriate.
The Central Texas area’s population growth—along with the potential of the Austin-San Antonio corridor developing into a metroplex—has the hospital group actively studying what the next phase of expansion of the Hays hospital would look like.
With Hays County continually ranked as one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, Ascension is considering how much potential capacity the Hays hospital might need without having to expand in phases, Anderson said.
“Hays [County] is one of the interesting ones where it was an older population that—now because of the affordability crisis in Travis County—a lot of younger families are finding it as a wonderful place to grow, start their families,” he said. “It’s better to build out from the beginning what it is you’re going to need rather than to bolt on pieces on the tail end.”
Planning for growth
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 estimates, Hays County’s population is about 255,397. That’s up from 164,050—or a 55.7% increase—in 2011. Ascension Seton Hays Hospital and Buda Health Center have implemented new measures for pediatric and women’s health recently and also plan on future growth. Some of those include:
In 2021:
• New operating rooms at Ascension Seton Hays
•Increased capacity for up to 1,850 annual births at Ascension Hays
•Additional technological additions, including robotic-assisted surgery
In 2022:
Increased focus and capacity for pediatric and primary care at Ascension Medical Group Seton Health Center Buda
In 2023:
Planning for future expansion of a possible new tower at Ascension Seton Hays Hospital
