Austin Community College District, or ACC, broke ground on its new Healthcare Professions Building at the Hays Campus with more than 100 people in attendance on Sept. 22.
The overview
Community leaders, college representatives, employees and students celebrated the start of construction on the new facility. The building will expand access to programs preparing students for regional healthcare careers, according to an ACC news release.
“This building focuses on health care, and Hays will help us double our health care programs to meet the health care needs, not just in Kyle, but in Hays County and Central Texas,” said ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart.
The new building was funded through ACC’s 2022 General Obligation Bond and provides the college with expanded capacity to offer clinical training to students, according to the release.
The facility will accommodate between 900 and 1,000 students and support programs including:
“We are here to celebrate an investment in our students, which is also celebrating the future and our belief that the role of a community college not only involves teaching and learning, but especially involves preparing students for a workforce,” said State Senator Judith Zaffirini.
Diving deeper
Continued growth in demand for skilled healthcare professionals in the region was a major contributor to the project’s development, according to the release.
ACC’s School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing currently offer more than 15 degree programs, with more than 3,400 students enrolled in the fall 2026 semester. The programs are available across the Eastview, Round Rock, Elgin and Highland campuses.
“It will offer diverse learning experiences,” said ACC Dean of Nursing Dr. Tiffany Ricks. “Our students have clinical requirements that they have to adhere to, so we have dedicated simulation spaces and lab spaces. We are excited to house all of that in one place.”
