HHSC, UT Southwestern plan for New State Psychiatric Hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

DALLAS – July 7, 2021 – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center are developing plans for a new state psychiatric hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with $44.7 million in state funding approved this Legislative session.

“There’s a critical need for additional inpatient mental health services in the Dallas area and we’re excited to be working with UT Southwestern on this project to design a state-of-the-art hospital that meets the mental health care needs of the community,” said HHS Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young. “A new hospital will have a major impact on our ability to provide care to the most vulnerable Texans living in the surrounding Metroplex.”

The joint project between HHSC and UT Southwestern will bring together the expertise of the two organizations, along with community stakeholders to create a state-of-the-art mental health system for the region.  

“This commitment to constructing the first state psychiatric facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex represents a critical step in efforts to serve the acute and growing need for inpatient mental health services,” said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, president of UT Southwestern Medical Center. “In seeking to address community needs, we look forward to working with the region’s stakeholders and leveraging the state’s investment in order to increase the availability of mental health care, to advance the research needed to develop the next generation of treatments, and expand the mental health workforce.”

Since 2017, the Texas Legislature and Gov. Greg Abbott have appropriated more than $1 billion in funding for the replacement, renovation or expansion of state hospitals throughout the state.  In 2021 alone, these appropriations included more than $276 million to complete construction of renovated hospitals in Austin and San Antonio, more than $69 million to operationalize additional beds in Kerrville and Houston, and more than $44.7 million for the planning, design, and purchase of land for a new state hospital in the Metroplex.

“A new state hospital will be a game changer for our region,” said State Sen. Jane Nelson. “Combined with over $300 million to renovate our current state hospital facilities and increase community mental health services statewide, we will significantly increase our capacity to meet Texas' mental health care needs."

The new state hospital addresses needs as outlined in a 2017 report and adds to the current 10-facility state hospital state network. The hospital would primarily focus on care for adults and those involved with the justice system.

The estimated total cost and timeline of the project have yet to be determined and remaining funding is contingent on legislative approval. 

For more information on HHSC’s Comprehensive Plan for State-Funded Inpatient Mental Health Services please visit:https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/about-hhs/process-improvement/addendum-comprehensive-plan-state-hospitals-jan-2021.pdf.

For more information about state hospital construction projects throughout the state, visit Changes to the State Hospital System page on the HHS website.

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 16 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 2,800 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in about 80 specialties to more than 117,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 3 million outpatient visits a year.