“Ben Taub is a very important part of providing timely, life-saving care to the residents of Harris County and the city of Houston,” said Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, Harris Health president and CEO. “It is also the only safety-net public hospital in the Texas Medical Center, the largest of its kind in the world. This proposed expansion aims to ensure we can continue serving everyone who walks through our doors.”
The expansion is made possible by a $2.5 billion bond package approved by Harris County voters in 2023, which supports Harris Health’s multi-year facilities plan and includes the addition of approximately 110 private patient rooms and expanded surgical capacity through a new patient tower adjacent to Ben Taub Hospital.
Why the expansion is needed
Harris Health anticipates a growing demand for inpatient care at Ben Taub Hospital, projecting an additional 18,000 emergency visits over the next ten years. Since opening in 1990, the hospital has faced mounting pressure: Harris County’s population has nearly doubled, while the number of patient beds has decreased.
About a decade ago, patient rooms at Ben Taub Hospital were converted from four beds to two to meet modern infection prevention standards. While this upgrade improved patient safety, it also reduced overall capacity. Today, the hospital routinely operates at or above 100% capacity, with patients sometimes placed in hallways and in spaces of the emergency center that are needed to provide critical emergent care.
“Adding capacity to Ben Taub Hospital has been identified as an urgent public health necessity,” Porsa said. “This proposed expansion would create over 100 additional patient beds, helping us ensure timely, life-saving care for everyone.”
Choosing the right site for expansion
Harris Health has identified 8.9 acres of Hermann Park—less than 2% of the park’s total acreage—directly across from the hospital’s emergency entrance for the expansion. While technically part of the park, this land is physically separated by Cambridge Street and is largely undeveloped.
Expanding on the existing Ben Taub Hospital campus is not feasible due to infrastructure limitations and a lack of available space within the hospital’s current footprint.
Therefore, proximity to the existing hospital is a key factor in the site selection. Building adjacent to Ben Taub Hospital allows the new tower to connect directly to the hospital through a sky bridge.
“This adjacency is essential,” Porsa said. “The sky bridge ensures patients in the new tower can immediately benefit from all the resources the current hospital provides without requiring a separate facility.”
Benefits of the expansion
The planned expansion of Ben Taub Hospital is designed to provide immediate and long-term improvements for patients, staff and the broader community, including:
In the short term, the addition of over 100 inpatient beds will reduce overcrowding in the emergency department, shorten wait times and improve the efficiency of hospital operations.
In the long term, the expansion will help the hospital meet the growing health care needs of Houston by providing more timely access to life-saving care for residents across Harris County.
It also establishes a foundation for the hospital’s eventual replacement site where it can continue to expand its services, capabilities and infrastructure to serve the community effectively for generations to come.
The process and next steps
The expansion requires acquiring a portion of Hermann Park, and Harris Health is following a legally prescribed eminent domain process to ensure transparency and compliance. This includes public hearings, formal board resolutions and notifications to individuals with ownership or reversionary rights.
“We are committed to following every legal step to acquire the land responsibly and transparently,” Porsa said. “Even after acquisition, planning and construction will take time, but each step is essential to ensure the success of this expansion. Once the process reaches the stage where landowners need to be contacted, we will reach out directly to notify them formally.”
Learn more
Harris Health is committed to keeping the public informed throughout the planning and development of the new Ben Taub Hospital patient tower expansion. For updates on the project, frequently asked questions and additional resources, visit harrishealth.org.
The above story was produced by Community Impact's Multi-Platform Journalist Chloe Chapel, with information solely provided by the local business as part of its "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
