Governor Abbott Announces Construction Of New North Texas State Hospital In Wichita Falls
Governor Greg Abbott today announced the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) broke ground this afternoon on a new hospital to replace the North Texas State Hospital in Wichita Falls. Governor Abbott and the 88th Texas Legislature approved $452 million in funding for the inpatient psychiatric hospital, which is slated for completion in late 2027.
“This new state hospital in Wichita Falls will offer people in North Texas increased access to mental health professionals and high-quality treatments,” said Governor Abbott. “Last year, I signed a law that provided critical funding for Texas to expand and build new, modern mental health facilities across our great state. Residents of North Texas will now have better access to essential mental and behavioral health treatments without having to drive hundreds of miles to receive the care they need. I thank the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for their ongoing work to improve behavioral health services for Texans in need.”
“As part of a comprehensive plan to modernize and increase access to inpatient psychiatric care across the state, this new hospital will offer healing and hope to some of the most vulnerable people in Northwest Texas,” said HHSC Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young. “The state’s unprecedented investment will enhance treatment and help patients return to their homes and communities.”
The new hospital will have 200 beds, including 24 maximum-security, 136 non-maximum-security, 24 adolescent, and 16 civil commitments. Adult and adolescent patients will have separate living areas, and the maximum-security unit will include measures to ensure the safety of patients, staff, and the community.
The state-of-the-art facility will include numerous features designed to promote recovery. Single-person rooms will balance privacy and protection for patients, and common activity areas and outdoor courtyards will encourage healthy social interaction.
The North Texas State Hospital consists of one campus in Wichita Falls and two in Vernon. The hospital opened in 1922, after the 35th Texas Legislature called for a psychiatric institution to serve the community and surrounding area. The campuses provide inpatient psychiatric services to adults, adolescents, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Since 2017, Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature have provided more than $2.5 billion in funding to replace, renovate, or expand state hospitals. HHSC recently hosted grand openings for replacement state hospitals in Austin and San Antonio.
Currently, construction of the new Texas Behavioral Health Center at UT Southwestern in Dallas and a replacement hospital in Terrell is underway. Construction is slated to begin in 2025 for new hospitals in Amarillo and Lubbock.
For more information about state hospital construction projects, visit the HHSC Changes to the State Hospital System page. Renderings for the new North Texas State Hospital – Wichita Falls campus are available here.