HEALTH CARE
Top health care stories to watch in 2023
OTHER STORIES TO FOLLOW IN 2023
BUILDING CAPACITY FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
In 2023, Austin will see continued expansion to its hospitals. Much of the growth will be focused on health care for women and children.
COVID-19 continues to be concern On Jan. 6, Austin Public Health announced the Austin-Travis County area would into the “medium” level of community spread for COVID-19 and that a a new omicron subvariant XBB.1 had been reported in the area. With the new variant and COVID-19 present in the Austin-area, Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin Public Health authority, is encouraging residents to stay updated on their vaccines. Walkes said to get vaccinated as soon as possible because even though vaccines are free now, Austin Public Health is anticipating they will come at a charge to residents later in 2023. At the end of 2022, APH ended the Travis County Vaccine Collaborative—a program that rolled out emergency vaccines to residents in the most vulnerable ZIP codes. COVID-19 vaccinations at APH are currently free, and appointments can be made by calling 512-972-5520. COVID 19 VACCINE SCHEDULE The initial dose consists of two shots of either Moderna or P zer. An optional third dose may be recommended for immunocompromised individuals. Up to two boosters have been approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for those age 5 and older. An updated bivalent booster is recommended. Novavax is an option that uses a di erent formulation for those who are age 12 or older and unable to get mRNA vaccines. THE RECOMMENDED TIME BETWEEN SHOTS DEPENDS ON AGE AND DOSE.
EXPANSIONS
NEW TOWERS AT EXISTING FACILITIES
16 beds added for women’s oncology; two rooms added for post-operation recovery St. David’s Austin Medical Center 11 rooms renovated for postpartum; several converted to delivery and recovery St. David’s South Austin Medical Center 96 rooms added for C-section operating, labor and delivery and other services St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas
Dell Children’s Medical Center
72 beds
1,500 patients annually
Ascension Seton women’s health tower
28 beds
7,500 deliveries annually
NEW FACILITIES
20,000+ patients served annually
Dell Children’s Medical Center North
36 beds
Texas Children’s Hospital North
52 beds
Patients served not provided
SOURCES: ASCENSION SETON, DELL CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER, ST. DAVID'S MEDICAL CENTER, TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COMMUNITY IMPACT
Austin to see hospital growth with focus on women and children Throughout 2023, several Aus- tin-area hospital networks will BY KATY MCAFEE & DARCY SPRAGUE UT Health Austin to expand women’s health care services to support the fast-growing population. St. David’s South Austin Medical
Texas Children’s Hospital is set to open its Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin Campus in spring 2024, and the hospital chain owns land in South Austin. In April, the city of Austin annexed the land, located near 13217 Old San Antonio Road, Manchaca, and Texas Children’s Hospital representatives con rmed the hospital was in preliminary phases of assessment and planning for a future development. As of Jan. 18, the Texas Children’s Hospital said no update was available about the south project. Central Texas will also see expan- sions for women’s health care in 2023. The Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin campus will expand to include a new 282,000-square-foot comprehensive women’s tower. The $320 million project will have 28 in-patient beds for clinical services, the capacity for 7,500 deliveries and more specialized space for women’s services. These investments are part of an ongoing comprehensive plan with Ascension Seton, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas and
expand to meet health care demands of Central Texas’ growing population. Dell Children’s Medical Center North, located in Williamson County, is slated to open in April. The four- story hospital will total over 187,000 square feet and include 36 in-patient beds and four operating rooms. Cathy Heckenlively, chief admin- istrative o cer at Dell Children’s Medical Center North, said the unveiling of the hospital comes at an appropriate time as Austin’s growing population has particularly strained children’s hospitals. “It’s young families coming in. If you think about the industries that are really expanding [such as tech- nology and manufacturing], it’s really attracting lots of young families and growing families,” she said. Dell Children’s Medical Center nished its fourth bed tower in November. The new tower added 72 rooms with space to expand current programs and add stem cell treatment.
Center is completing an $18.5 million expansion to its women’s services unit, which will be nished by the end of 2023. The expansion will convert several postpartum rooms to labor, delivery and recovery rooms and renovate an 11-bed surgical unit to be used as postpartum rooms. The St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center on Parmer Lane and MoPac is undergoing expansion as a part of a $121 million renovation and receiving a $200 million expansion for women’s oncology. The expansion will include 16 patient beds and two rooms for post-operative recovery, which is estimated to be completed in 2024. Texas Children’s Hospital will also open a new obstetrics and gynecol- ogy and aesthetics clinic in fall 2023, adjacent to Texas Children’s Hospital Austin in North Austin. will open at the end of 2023. St. David’s Medical Center is
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