By HFT Staff

Governor Greg Abbott announced the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) broke ground on the new Panhandle State Hospital in Amarillo. Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature approved $159 million in funding for the inpatient psychiatric hospital, which is expected to be completed in 2027. 

The 164,475-square-foot, 75-bed hospital will provide inpatient psychiatric services to adults. The hospital is designed with the latest mental healthcare standards in mind to promote recovery and healing. Patients will have access to common activity areas and outdoor courtyards to encourage social interaction. 

This is the first state-operated hospital in the 26-county area. 

Since 2017, Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature have invested more than $2.5 billion to replace, renovate and build state hospitals across Texas. These projects are part of a comprehensive plan to modernize facilities and increase access to inpatient psychiatric care. 

HHSC owns and operates nine state hospitals and one residential youth treatment center for people experiencing mental illness. The hospitals provide evidence-based treatment and 24-hour care to patients across the state who have been deemed to be unsafe to themselves or others, incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of insanity.