Austin Community College District (ACC) broke ground Tuesday, September 22, on a new Healthcare Professions Building at the Hays Campus. The project marks a major step in expanding access to healthcare workforce education in Central Texas.
Funded through ACC’s 2022 General Obligation Bond, the new building will increase the College’s capacity to educate and clinically prepare students for high-demand healthcare careers across the South Region.
“When you look at the job needs in Central Texas, they’re really in three areas: infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare,” said Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, ACC Chancellor. “We are intentionally rethinking our spaces to solve for all three of those issues. This building focuses on healthcare, and Hays will help us double our healthcare programs to meet healthcare needs—not just in Kyle, but in Hays County and Central Texas.”
The building is designed to accommodate 900–1,000 students at full capacity and will support education and clinical training for programs including:
- Nursing
- Dental Hygiene
- Sonography
- Surgical Technology
- Radiological Technology
- Other healthcare professions
The expansion will strengthen ACC’s Healthcare Professions Division, which prepares students for careers across a broad range of healthcare fields through academic and workforce programs. The division combines classroom instruction, hands-on learning, and clinical experiences to help students develop the technical skills required in healthcare settings.
“Healthcare is very complex. It is very high-pressure. We are intentional about creating a space designed specifically for healthcare professional students that we anticipate will meet their needs. It will offer diverse learning experiences,” said Dr. Tiffany Ricks, ACC Dean of Nursing. “Our students have clinical requirements that they have to adhere to, so we have dedicated simulation spaces and lab spaces. We are excited to house all of that in one place so students don’t have to go clear across campus to access those areas.”
The Hays Campus expansion comes as Central Texas continues to grow and demand for healthcare professionals increases. By expanding healthcare education and clinical training capacity in the South region of the District, ACC is creating additional opportunities for students to enter healthcare careers while helping meet the workforce needs of area employers.
“It’s an investment in our students, which is also celebrating the future and our belief that the role of a community college not only involves teaching and learning, but especially involves preparing students for a workforce,” said State Senator Judith Zaffirini, Dean of the Texas Senate. “As you who live in this growing community, in this growing region of the state, understand that as the population grows, so do healthcare needs. So the students who will come here as we celebrate this groundbreaking will absolutely be prepared for a better future and to better care for their families.”
For students, the new facility will mean greater access to specialized healthcare education closer to home and additional opportunities to train in environments designed around the needs of today’s healthcare workforce.
“I am trying to build my basic healthcare knowledge and get a good start on a career,” said Liliana Flores, a Central Texas Healthcare Academy student. “More trained workers are needed in the healthcare field. There are always more people needing care, and costs are always going up, so they need people to help with that.”
The new building is designed to meet LEED Silver certification standards. The project also includes infrastructure improvements to support the continued growth of the Hays Campus.
The project comes as demand continues to grow for a skilled healthcare workforce. ACC’s School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing currently offers more than 15 degree programs serving more than 3,400 students this fall, with programs across the Eastview, Round Rock, Elgin, and Highland campuses. Students train for careers ranging from nursing and dental hygiene to diagnostic imaging, surgical technology, and emergency medical services.
For more information about ACC’s 2022 General Obligation Bond projects, visit austincc.edu/bond.