Construction on track for new UMC Health and Wellness Hospital in South Lubbock

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Construction is moving along at University Medical Center’s new Health and Wellness Hospital near 110th Street and Slide Road.

The health system began construction on the new site last year, after years of planning.

In August, UMC hosted a beam signing event to celebrate the expansion. Now, construction is on track for the hospital to open in December.

Vice President of the Health and Wellness Hospital Dean Diersing says despite some weather events with wind and rain, contractors and designers are keeping the project on schedule.

“If you’ve been out there, you’ve seen 60 to 70% of the windows are up. The façade is changing on the outside, so there’s fiber cement and stone going up,” he said. “Really excited about how it’s progressing on the inside. Starting on the south side, we’ve got sheet rocking going up on the first floor is complete. The second floor is being started and really just feels like the project’s going well.”

The $150 million hospital will be home to an eight-bed emergency center, six ORs, imaging services, and a drive-up pharmacy. The north side of the hospital will house PT and OT sessions, cardiac rehab, a wellness center and physicians’ offices.

“We’re not just here to help people when they need us from a sickness or illness or whatever that may be. We want to ensure that we’re investing in the life cycle and can help keep people well as well as get them well,” Diersing said.

Patients with cancer can also get treatments in the infusion center overlooking a healing garden, instead of driving to the medical district.

“If you live in the southern part of the community, it may take you 25 minutes to get to the hospital, so we’re excited to be able to serve this southern part,” he said.

Diersing says it will also bring in 250 to 275 new staff members, noting some of those jobs should be posted within the next few weeks.

“Patients are excited, they’ll ask questions about it and, ‘When is it going to open?’ and ‘What are some potential opportunities out there?’ I think everybody’s ready to experience it, though,” Diersing said.

Last year, UMC CEO Mark Funderburk teased an urgent care center next to the hospital. Diersing confirmed it’s being built on the northeast corner of the property and is set to open in the spring.

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