St. David’s South Austin Medical Center broke ground on a $180 million expansion in March after several years of planning to increase capacity and meet the demands of a growing community.
“The expansion significantly broadens St. David’s South Austin Medical Center’s ability to care for patients across multiple stages of treatment and recovery,” said Dr. Malik Merchant, chief medical officer of St. David’s South Austin Medical Center.
The big picture
St. David’s will construct a four-story patient tower later this year, including a patient care unit, an inpatient rehabilitation unit, enhanced surgical services and lobby areas. Additionally, the expansion to the existing hospital will add new operating rooms, shell space for future operating rooms, a post-anesthesia care unit and a pre- and post-surgical unit, Merchant said.
The shell space will be built out once patient volumes require it and will take about a year to complete.
“Together, these enhancements will increase surgical capacity, support a wider range of procedures and improve the patient journey before, during and after surgery,” Merchant said in an email to Community Impact.
Some parking areas have been closed for construction. The hospital is currently offering free valet parking for all patients and visitors to offset the impact of construction on parking areas.
The needCharles Laird, CEO of St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, said population growth has increased the demand for high-quality inpatient, surgical and rehabilitation services. The improvements will help St. David’s recruit and retain skilled physicians and aid emergency room bed capacity.
From 2020 to 2025, the population of Austin grew from 962,163 to just over 1 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“It’s no secret that Austin continues to grow—and with it, the health care needs of our community,” said Dr. Belda Zamora, Travis County Medical Society president, in an email to Community Impact. “We’re fortunate to have some of the finest physicians in the country, and it’s essential they have the facilities and resources to do what they do best.”
In case you missed itThe expansion will aid the hospital’s efforts to participate in cancer research, such as the clinical trial for lymphoma treatment. In May, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center announced its participation in the first-of-its-kind randomized clinical trial for aggressive large B-cell lymphoma. St. David’s was the first site in the world to enroll a patient in the trial.
St. David’s was able to participate in this trial through its partnership with the Sarah Cannon Research Institute. The institute is a leader in research and human trials, according to Dr. Aravind Ramakrishnan, medical director of the Sarah Cannon Transplant Program at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center. Through the partnership, St. David’s currently has 63 active oncology research trials.
Laird said the expansion will free up space in the existing facility to expand oncology services, where St. David’s is seeing “tremendous growth” in the department.
“I think the hospital’s expansion is kind of linked to the growth of our program,” Ramakrishnan said. “All it’s going to do is support what we’re doing here and make it easier for us to provide all the resources we need for our patients.”
Ramakrishnan said there is a large research network and a lot of cancer care available in Austin.
Before you goSt. David’s South Austin Medical Center has been taking steps to expand services and facilities over the past several years to meet the needs of a growing South Austin population.
