Almost $700M of projects on books this year in WilCo
Ascension Seton Williamson is pursuing a $230 million expansion to its hospital in Round Rock, adding to the millions of dollars in capital investments other health care systems have pledged in Williamson County over the last year.
St. Louis-based Ascension said Oct. 17 its expansion at 201 Seton Parkway will include a 216,000-square-foot, six-story tower. It will house 160 patient rooms; two new operating rooms; expanded space for emergency, imaging, cardiac catherization and surgery departments; and a 12-bed observation unit. The additions will allow the company to create about 400 additional jobs; the hospital north of Austin had an estimated 541 employees as of last year, according to ABJ research.
The expansion also includes the buildout of 34,000 square feet at the adjacent Ascension Seton Williamson Medical Plaza at 301 Seton Parkway. That will increase space for outpatient wound care and cardiac and pediatric rehab, the company said.
“We’re excited to announce this important addition to our hospital’s clinical capacity,” Andrew Gnann, president of Ascension Seton Williamson, said in a statement. “As the greater Round Rock area has experienced substantial growth, this expansion will allow us to meet the increased need for medical and surgical services, particularly for cardiovascular, neurology and orthopedic health in our community.”
Williamson County has added roughly 62,400 residents since 2020, with the latest population count at 671,418 in 2023, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. That’s attracted a number of big capital investments, like the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. factory in Taylor that is expected to result in upwards of $17 billion in capital investment.
Health care systems are also following the growth. So far this year, at least $685.1 million worth of hospital projects have been announced in the county. That includes a $220 million expansion by Baylor Scott & White Health in Round Rock. Additionally, St. David’s HealthCare has announced it is investing approximately $182 million in the construction of a Leander hospital, along with a $53.1 million expansion at its Round Rock location.
Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said “we desperately need this expansion” due to the rapid population growth.
“Williamson County is ecstatic by the decision of the Seton Williamson Hospital,” Gravell said. “What the Ascension family has done in Williamson County in the last many years is transformative between the new children’s hospital and seton wilco’s expansion. We’re grateful to the Ascension family.”
In Texas, Ascension operates Ascension Providence in Waco and Ascension Seton, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center and Dell Seton Medical Center. Officials said that Ascension Williamson County completed 64,000 patient visits in Fiscal Year 2022, including 34% of which were un- or under-insured.
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