Ascension Seton forms partnership for more mental health beds, future of Shoal Creek unclear

Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·4 min read
Acadia Healthcare will expand its Cross Creek Hospital from 106 in-patient beds to 196 in-patient beds. As part of a new joint venture, the expanded mental health facility will be renamed Cross Creek Hospital Together with Ascension Seton.
Acadia Healthcare will expand its Cross Creek Hospital from 106 in-patient beds to 196 in-patient beds. As part of a new joint venture, the expanded mental health facility will be renamed Cross Creek Hospital Together with Ascension Seton.

Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect that Ascension Seton has not made a decision on the closure of Shoal Creek hospital, it's other mental health hospital.

Austin will soon get more behavioral health hospital beds, but they will come from a new joint venture expands one hospital, while the future of another hospital is unclear.

Ascension Texas has formed a joint venture with Acadia Healthcare. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but under the agreement, Acadia will expand its Cross Creek Hospital from 106 in-patient beds to 196 in-patient beds.

By working with Acadia and not building its own new behavioral health facility, it will be "better positioned to serve the community through an expanded capacity and care delivery system to ensure that this community has sustainable, quality behavioral healthcare access long into the future," Ascension Texas said in a statement.

Any chance to increase capacity is a good thing, said Greg Hansch, executive director of NAMI-Texas (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Texas has seen a real shortage in access to beds in the state hospital system because of the number of patients in the prison and jail system needing to be served by the state hospitals, he said.

Treatment Advocacy Center's 2024 report found that in 2023 Texas ranked 45th in the number of beds per 100,000 people and 14th in the number of those beds that are occupied by incarcerated patients. At one time, 64% of the state hospital mental health beds were occupied by incarcerated patients.

That has meant greater pressure on private hospital systems to provide more mental health services including in-patient beds. Expanding capacity, using available spaces wisely and training more mental health providers have become key, Hansch said. "It seems like this partnership is getting at all those things," he said.

Cross Creek will be renamed Cross Creek Hospital Together with Ascension Seton. Cross Creek is in Northeast Austin at 8402 Cross Park Drive near U.S 183 and U.S. 290.

Ascension Seton currently runs the behavioral health hospital Ascension Seton Shoal Creek. The staff at Ascension Seton Shoal Creek will be hired by Acadia to run Cross Creek. Dell Medical School students, residents and fellows will train and work at Cross Creek.

The future of the 46-inpatient bed Ascension Seton Shoal Creek hospital in Central Austin is unclear. Plans for the future of the Shoal Creek site are still being discussed.

Ascension Texas said that while patient numbers vary at Shoal Creek, it looks forward to the expanded capacity at Cross Creek.

The staff at Ascension Seton Shoal Creek will be hired by Acadia to run Cross Creek. Dell Medical School students, residents and fellows will train and work at Cross Creek.

“This joint venture presents a unique opportunity for us to expand services to an existing location with a world-class partner," said Chris Hunter, chief executive officer of Acadia Healthcare. "At the same time, the teaching component of the hospital is a commitment by both organizations to the future of behavioral healthcare."

Acadia operates 253 behavioral health care facilities throughout the United States.

"This hospital will be a tremendous resource for those living in our community, including those who are most vulnerable,” said Andy Davis, president and chief executive officer of Ascension Texas.

The new hospital will continue to be a safety-net mental health hospital, including "those served by MAP (the Travis County insurance-like plan for people making at or below 200% of poverty level)," Ascension Texas said in a statement.

Ascension Texas will continue to operate its mental health unit at Dell Children's Medical Center.

Meanwhile, St. David's HealthCare announced plans to build its own behavioral health hospital two years ago near the St. David's North Austin campus. That hospital was originally set to be finished in 2024, but it has been delayed by permitting and construction labor availability. Construction is now supposed to begin this summer.

The St. David's project will have 80 beds with the potential to add 12 more. It will treat adults as well as pediatric and geriatric patients.

The new hospital "will help to service a huge unmet demand," said David Huffstutler, president and chief executive officer of St. David’s HealthCare, at the time that hospital was announced.

The state's Austin State Hospital recently went through a massive renovation and reopening, but not with increased capacity. It has about 240 beds.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Ascension Seton forms partnership for more mental health beds, future of Shoal Creek unclear