The Texas Health and Human Services Commission celebrated a key stage in construction of the new Wichita Falls State Hospital this week with the placement of the final steel beam, the agency announced.
According to an Oct. 23 HHSC news release, the $452 million, 225-bed replacement hospital will provide inpatient psychiatric care and is expected to be completed in late 2027.
Gov. Greg Abbott said in the release that the milestone marks a proud step forward in the state’s mission to expand high-quality behavioral health care for Texans. He said Texas has invested more than $2.5 billion since 2017 to modernize state facilities so families in every corner of the state receive the inpatient psychiatric care they deserve, and he thanked HHSC and local partners for their dedication.
HHS Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth said in the release that the new hospital will strengthen inpatient mental health care for patients, families and communities across the region. She called the modern facility a vital investment in the state’s continuum of care that will provide compassionate, high-quality services in an environment designed to promote healing.
The 411,505-square-foot facility is designed to deliver inpatient psychiatric services for adults and children, according to the agency. It will feature therapeutic spaces, including outdoor areas and natural light throughout the building, to promote recovery, HHSC said.
The existing hospital campus opened in 1922, after the 35th Texas Legislature authorized a psychiatric facility to serve Wichita Falls and surrounding communities, the release said.
HHSC owns and operates 10 state hospitals and two residential youth treatment centers for people experiencing mental illness, according to the agency. Construction is also underway on new state hospitals in Lubbock and Amarillo, a replacement state hospital in Terrell, an expansion of the Rio Grande State Center in Harlingen and renovations to the San Antonio State Hospital. The release directed readers to the HHSC Changes to the State Hospital System page for more information on state hospital construction projects.