SAN ANTONIO, TX — The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has broken ground and unveiled the cornerstone for the UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital, a destination center for research and treatment of cancer and other complex diseases that disproportionately impact the people of South Texas. The ceremony was held virtually.

William L. Henrich, MD, MACP, President of UT Health San Antonio, welcomed academic, civic, and community leaders from The University of Texas System, the city of San Antonio, and Bexar County. Also joining the event were leaders from University Health, UT Health's primary academic training site for more than 50 years.

The patient-centered hospital, to be built with state and private investments estimated at $430 million, will deliver the most advanced precision-based care and latest targeted therapies possible. The eight-story, 144-bed hospital will offer specialty care in cancer, orthopedics, urology, and thoracic and bariatric surgery. Owned by The University of Texas, this new facility will be a major site for early phase clinical trials, including novel immunologic and stem cell therapies for cancer.

David Zachry, Chairman of the UT Health San Antonio Development Board, described the hospital's impact on health care education.

"This new hospital will allow San Antonio to attract more than 50 new medical residents, many of whom will choose to stay in our community to raise their families and provide needed medical specialty care to our patients," said Zachry, President and CEO of Zachry Construction Corp.

Robert A. Hromas, MD, FACP, Dean of the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs at UT Health San Antonio, praised the innovation in medical education, clinical care, and research that the new hospital will foster.

"This new environment is being carefully designed to promote interprofessional collaboration as we provide exceptional care to patients and their families," Hromas said. "This hospital is a crucial addition to our academic mission of producing new physicians and other health care providers. The hospital will help accelerate discoveries, validated in clinical trials, that bring improvements to clinical practice, resulting in the comprehensive advanced care we provide patients."

The hospital will be connected by a pedestrian sky bridge to the Mays Cancer Center, home to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center. The National Cancer Institute this year renewed its designation of the Mays Cancer Center as one of the elite cancer centers in the nation and one of only four NCI-designated Cancer Centers in Texas.

"NCI-designated Cancer Centers with superior access to state-of-the-art hospital care are the nation's leaders in inpatient Phase I clinical trials of cellular-based therapies and surgical technologies," said Ruben Mesa, MD, FACP, Executive Director of the Mays Cancer Center.

The hospital will also expand UT Health San Antonio's partnership with University Health. UT Health San Antonio is working with University Health to form a top-tier integrated health delivery system to improve care throughout Bexar County. The new hospital will be complementary to existing programs at University Hospital, avoiding duplication of services.

The hospital raises the curtain on a new era of precision, personalized medicine based on innovative research conducted by San Antonians for San Antonians. UT Health San Antonio will bring the expertise of 900 faculty specialists and subspecialists to serve patients and their families at this new facility. Patient care will be coordinated within a single, secure electronic medical record available anywhere 24/7.

"This investment is about far more than a new brick-and-mortar facility," Henrich said. "This project will improve the way we serve our patients. We are proud to make this investment in our patients, our people, and our community."

The hospital design is 448,819 gross square feet and includes a 673-car parking garage and 200-car surface parking lot. EYP has been contracted to perform the architectural and engineering services, and the construction manager-at-risk is Vaughn Construction. Construction is beginning this spring and is expected to be completed in 2024.