Harris Health Approves $2.5B Bond Request, Planning Begins on LBJ Hospital Replacement Project

The Harris Health System Board of Trustees unanimously approved a request to the Harris County Commissioners Court to order a bond election for an estimated $2.5 billion. The request is to finance the rebuilding and upgrading of Harris Health’s facilities, located in the Houston, Texas area. The facilities are reaching end of use and have been operating at near-full capacity for years.

Expected to be passed on the November 2023 ballot, the bond referendum will provide much-needed investment for the public safety net. Harris County has two adult Level I trauma centers, serving a population of almost 4.8 million. Houston is the second fastest-growing major metropolitan area in the United States, with Harris County projected to have over 6 million residents, with more than 1.5 million uninsured people by 2050.

The proposed $2.5 billion bond and capital construction package includes several essential initiatives, including the construction of a new Level I-capable trauma center outside Texas Medical Center, replacing the Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, adding new community-based clinics in high-need areas, and providing the necessary investments into Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital to extend its lifespan.

Planning has started and designs have been completed by lead architectural firm HKS for the new $1.6 billion LBJ replacement hospital. Construction is expected to begin in 2024 and is scheduled to be completed in late 2028. Overall plans for this project include:
• Additional trauma care services to enhance the county’s capacity to provide trauma care
• Nearly doubling inpatient bed capacity
• Proactive planning for flood mitigation
• Clinical areas designed with flexibility to meet patient needs and future expansion requirements
• Add new services, including interventional neurology, cardiology and stroke care.

In addition to the bond package, Harris Health intends to raise $100 million in philanthropic support and an additional $300 million from operational savings to help offset the total $2.9 billion strategic capital improvement plan.

Learn more at nextlevelharrishealth.org.

Rendering courtesy of HKS