Central Health plans $90.5M medical complex for low-income, homeless healthcare services
The $90.5 million facility aims to fill healthcare gaps in northeast Austin with clinical, pharmacy, recovery and rehabilitation services.
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — A proposed medical complex in northeast Austin could bring healthcare services closer to low-income patients and people experiencing homelessness, Central Health announced last week.
The $90.5 million facility aims to fill healthcare gaps in northeast Austin with clinical, pharmacy, recovery and rehabilitation services.
Central Health's board approved issuing certificates of obligation last week to buy northeast Austin buildings for the new public medical complex. The approval authorizes the Travis County hospital district to issue debt for the project.
Central Health said the new complex "will fill critical gaps in care." It will include:
- clinical space
- pharmacy services
- a short-term detoxification center for substance-use and alcohol-use disorders
- 50 respite care beds for people experiencing homelessness and recovering from previous hospital visits
“Giving people a place to recover and rehabilitate means they have a chance to get better and hopefully break the cycle of living on the streets and ending up in the hospital emergency department," Alan Schalsha, Central Health's chief medical officer, said in a release.
The exact location will be made public after the property is purchased, Central Health said Friday.
Travis County commissioners will consider approving the $90.5 million in certificates of obligation at their Tuesday meeting. If approved, Travis County homeowners' tax bills will increase by about $12.84, according to Central Health.
The board also approved an additional $9 million in debt for a specialty care clinic in east Austin. The Rosewood-Zaragosa clinic will open later in 2023. The existing health center will turn into a specialty clinic with cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, podiatry, and pulmonology healthcare specialists.
Central Health is also opening two health centers in east Travis County this fall. The centers will be in the Hornsby bend and Del Valle areas and offer primary care, behavioral health care, oral health assessment, specialty care via telehealth and a community gathering space.