Construction is underway on a new 300-bed hospital to replace the current facility at San Antonio State Hospital on the South Side, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
“This new world-class facility will be a step toward modernizing the psychiatric hospital system in Texas,” said Tim Bray, Texas HHS associate commissioner for State Hospitals. “The state-of-the-art design of the new hospital will match the modern care that’s provided to the people who depend on our services at SASH.”
The state approved $205 million in funding for the design and initial construction of the hospital to replace the outdated buildings on the hospital campus.
HHSC is partnering with UT Health San Antonio on the project.
The replacement hospital incorporates private rooms for all patients and a floor plan that includes more open areas and natural light throughout the building.
“We see this as a major improvement in care for patients with mental and behavioral health issues in all of South Texas,” said Dr. Steven Pliszka of UT Health San Antonio, who led the stakeholders’ executive committee for the redesign of the San Antonio State Hospital. “The new hospital will promote a state-of-the-art therapeutic environment for patients with mental illness that will enhance recovery. The hospital is the centerpiece of a master plan that will improve collaboration among regional partners.”
The construction is part of the $745 million that Texas has invested to revitalize and transform state psychiatric hospitals in Austin, Kerrville, Rusk and San Antonio. A new hospital is also planned in Houston.
"Securing the funding to begin construction on the San Antonio State Hospital was a top priority for Senate District 19 during the 86th Legislative Session,” said State Sen. Pete Flores. “I am happy that I was able to help secure this funding by serving on the budget-writing Senate Finance Committee. SASH serves a vital function to San Antonio and millions of Texans in southwest Texas. I'm very excited about the construction."
The three-story, 476,000 square-foot building is set to open in January 2024. The total cost budgeted for the new hospital is approximately $357 million.
"The construction of the new San Antonio State Hospital in Bexar County is a once in a lifetime opportunity, not only to design a state of the art hospital, but to also thoughtfully develop a master plan of mental health services on the SASH campus,” said State Rep. Roland Gutierrez.
Construction crews are also renovating an existing, vacant building on campus that is expected to be completed in January 2021.
The $11.5 million project will add 40 beds to the hospital and more than 100 new jobs will be created to support the re-commissioned building.
The jobs include psychiatric nursing assistants, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and support service positions for the kitchen, laundry, maintenance and security areas.
Brian Kirkpatrick can be reached at Brian@TPR.org and on Twitter at @TPRBrian.
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