Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has commenced construction on the new Panhandle State Hospital in Amarillo. The project, which received $159 million in funding from Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature, is slated for completion in 2027.

"Texas is delivering on its promise to expand healthcare to rural communities across our great state," stated Governor Abbott. "This Panhandle State Hospital—the first state-operated facility in the region—will provide Texans greater access to mental health professionals and high-quality care close to home. I thank the Texas Legislature and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for their work to increase access to mental healthcare for Texans in every corner of our state.”

HHS Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young added, “Texans are better served when they have access to healthcare closer to home, and that is why state leaders and HHSC have invested in facilities like the Panhandle State Hospital. When completed, this hospital will offer hope and healing to some of the most vulnerable people in the Panhandle.”

The facility will be a 164,475-square-foot hospital with 75 beds, designed according to modern mental healthcare standards. It aims to promote recovery by providing patients with common activity areas and outdoor courtyards for social interaction.

This marks the first state-operated hospital within a 26-county area. Since 2017, more than $2.5 billion has been invested by Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature into replacing, renovating, and building state hospitals throughout Texas as part of a broader plan to enhance inpatient psychiatric care.

The HHSC currently owns and operates nine state hospitals along with one residential youth treatment center catering to individuals experiencing mental illness across Texas.

For further details about state hospital construction projects or renderings of the new Panhandle State Hospital, visit HHSC's Changes to the State Hospital System page.