TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple is undergoing a major expansion that will add beds, surgical suites, imaging technology and updated facilities across its campus, including McLane Children's Hospital and its College of Medicine.
Greg Haralson, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple and Central Texas Regional president, said the growth is necessary to meet the region's increasing healthcare demands.
"That ability to not only grow immediately but have shelf space for future growth, is fantastic and could give us the potential to ultimately add 84 beds to the campus once all of those floors are built out. So that's the most significant and the most significant advancement and investment that we've made here in the last 20 years," Haralson said.
Three new floors will be added to the South Tower. One floor will include 28 new universal beds capable of supporting care up to ICU-level needs. The remaining 2 floors will serve as shelf space for future growth.
The expansion will also add 18 observation care spaces, updated waiting and recovery areas, an additional operating room and 2 new MRI machines — one at the Roy Bone and Joint Institute and one at the Vasahek Cancer Center.
Two new helipads will also be added to support timely care for patients in Bell County and surrounding regions.
Haralson said the hospital's role as a regional hub makes the expansion critical.
"It could be a real desert for healthcare without us here because we receive over 900 transfers a month and we have to be able to accommodate that volume because of those patients needing our care as a level one trauma center, the highest level NICU care provider, and all that comes with that," Haralson said.
Temple Mayor Tim Davis said the investment reflects the hospital's commitment to the community.
"Baylor Scott and White in my town is investing those important dollars toward taking care of my loved ones and your loved ones, because at the end of the day, what we have are relationships and what we have are the people that are meaningful to us," Davis said.
McLane Children's Hospital upgrades
McLane Children's Hospital is also receiving significant upgrades. Earlier this year, the hospital increased the capacity of its Level 4 NICU — the only one between Dallas and Austin — by 20%.
A new operating room dedicated to cardiovascular surgery for children is being added, made possible through donor support. Currently, children in the region who need heart surgery must travel outside the area for care. The new program will allow families to remain close to home for advanced cardiac treatment.
A hybrid operating room is also under construction. The space will feature an interventional radiology suite that allows surgical and imaging teams to work together during a single procedure, reducing the number of procedures and sedations patients require.
Six intermediate care rooms will be added to bridge the gap between ICU-level care and standard floor care. MRI technology at the children's hospital is also being updated.
The most visible change will be a reimagined front entrance, which will include a new kid-friendly check-in area, a bright lobby, a chapel, a movie theater area, a children's playscape accessible to admitted patients and their families with covered parent seating, a larger gift shop and an additional lobby cafe.
Medical education expansion
The College of Medicine on the Temple campus is also undergoing construction as the healthcare industry faces a growing physician shortage.
Dr. Hania Janek, associate dean of campus operations for Baylor's School of Medicine, said the investment in education is urgent.
"Estimates predict that by 2032 we'll be, um, short 10,000 physicians, so our investment not only in the facilities but in our partnerships is really important to help prepare the future physicians by educating. Them and strengthening the physician workforce," Janek said.
The Medical Education Building houses the Baylor College of Medicine Temple Regional Medical School campus and a learning community center for medical students. The third floor is home to the Central Texas Center for Anatomical Sciences and Education, which serves Temple medical students, Baylor Scott & White Temple graduate medical education programs, Baylor University and the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.
Ongoing construction at the Medical Education Center includes reimagined classrooms with updated technology and audiovisual systems, an expanded library with additional study rooms and a new quiet room.
The first set of new additions is expected to finish construction by the summer of 2028.
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