By HFT Staff

Governor Greg Abbott announced the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) broke ground 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. 

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 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.