New hospital to serve Hays, portions of Travis counties

New hospital to serve Hays, portions of Travis counties

By Teresa Pione Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Developers are ahead of schedule on a new hospital that will open Oct. 1 serving Hays and surrounding counties. Construction on Seton Medical Center Hays, originally scheduled to open Jan. 2010, will be complete by Aug. 1 allowing for two months of staff training before the doctors and nurses are ready for patients.

The hospital will join the family of 11 other Seton Medical Centers in Central Texas and will cover a 205-acre site on the northeast corner of IH 35 and Kyle Parkway, accepting patients from within a 28-mile radius.

Seton Medical Center Hays Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Herb Dyer said Kyle residents are supportive of the hospital plans, as evidenced by 400 people who attended the groundbreaking.

“I think the community is extremely elated about us coming in,” Dyer said.

Dyer said the $143.7 million project has been designated a stroke center and will include:

• Emergency department
• Critical care unit
• Inpatient services, including oncology
• Surgical care, including orthopedics
• Open heart program
• Diagnostic and intervention services
• Women’s service, including a maternity wing, obstetrics, gynecology and nursery
• Outpatient therapies

Doug Strange, senior project manager of facilities of Seton Family of Hospitals, said the hospitality will open with 112 licensed beds, though additional rooms may be added.

“This model allows us to expand out without disrupting services,” Strange said.

As the fifth fastest growing city in Texas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Kyle may experience more growth, Strange said, and Seton will be ready. The maximum expansion would allow for 300 beds. The facility’s fifth floor is reserved for such expansion.

For more information visit www.seton.net/hays.