Agencies
Work Together to Provide State-of-the Art Care
Through New Infectious Disease Hospital
May
18, 2006
SAN ANTONIO
- The largest, new infectious disease facility in the United States
in 50 years is currently in the planning stages for San Antonio.
The new hospital will replace the State Tuberculosis Hospital located
on South East Military Drive which opened in 1953.
O'Connell Robertson & Associates (ORA), a Texas-based architecture
and engineering firm with offices in San Antonio and Austin, has
been selected to design the new hospital for the Texas Center for
Infectious Disease (TCID). The 80,000 sq ft. hospital will be built
on the existing, state-owned TCID campus in San Antonio. The facility
will be designed to assist patients in completing the long-term
treatment required for tuberculosis. All 75 private-patient rooms
will be negative-air, infectious isolation rooms. Patient activity,
counseling and spiritual support spaces are also planned for the
new facility. Design of the new hospital is expected to be completed
in January 2007, with construction complete by early 2009.
The 75-bed, inpatient facility was authorized for TCID by the State
of Texas. The $17.3 million project is funded by the Texas Department
of State Health Services (TDSHS) appropriations made possible through
the approval of a constitutional amendment in the November 2001
general election. The project, a joint effort among multiple agencies,
is being built under the supervision of Texas Building and Procurement
Commission (TBPC) with involvement of the TDSHS.
The mission of the Texas Center for Infectious Disease is to provide
high quality medical care, research, and professional education
of providers for patients with tuberculosis and other infectious,
contagious diseases. Health care and diagnostic services are provided
to all referred patients with the exception of pediatric patients,
as part of the TDSHS system supporting preventative and treatment
services.
Established in 1950, ORA is focused on healthcare and educational
facility design. Founded in 1950, the Firm has completed more than
1,000 projects throughout the State. ORA is currently working with
the University Health System, Alamo Community College District,
University of Texas at San Antonio, Northside ISD and San Antonio
ISD on other projects in San Antonio.
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