Harris County commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 30 to push back the proposed Dec. 11 public hearing for the Harris Health and the Ben Taub Hospital expansion in Houston’s Texas Medical Center. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was absent.

Several amendments, internal deadlines and meetings are now being coordinated by county and city of Houston stakeholders as part of a potential expansion plan that will include community input and a formal presentation in January. Commissioners set the new date for the public hearing in March.

“I want Ben Taub in the medical center, and I will fight vigorously against those who will not want it in the medical center. It’s the best place for those who can’t afford it,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said.

The context

Harris Health officials are in the process of a major expansion of Ben Taub Hospital, which would incorporate 8.9 acres of Hermann Park.

Esmaeil Porsa, Harris Health president and CEO, said at the Oct. 30 meeting that the expansion must occur at this location for several reasons that would support more than 1 million uninsured individuals.

“It would allow this facility to be part of Ben Taub and won’t need additional licensing,” Porsa said.

The expansion is backed by a $2.5 billion bond package approved by Harris County voters in 2023, which supports Harris Health’s multiyear facilities plan and includes the addition of approximately 100 private patient rooms and expanded surgical capacity through a new patient tower adjacent to Ben Taub Hospital.

Harris Health officials are anticipating a growing demand for inpatient care at Ben Taub Hospital, projecting an additional 18,000 emergency visits over the next 10 years. The current campus couldn’t be expanded due to infrastructure limitations, officials said, and a lack of available space within the hospital’s current footprint.

The new site would be built adjacent to Ben Taub Hospital and would allow the new tower to connect directly to the hospital through a sky bridge.

“This adjacency is essential,” Porsa told Community Impact.

The bottom line

Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said she’s committed to expanding and enhancing how Harris County provides health care through the Ben Taub Hospital.

In order to move the process forward, Briones and the three other county commissioners agreed that Harris Health officials must closely collaborate with members of the Hermann Park Conservancy board, Houston Zoo, city of Houston and community leaders.

“Patients are facing longer wait times for hospital beds due to increasing demand,” Briones said. “As we work to improve Ben Taub, strong community engagement is vital. This community engagement must be robust, inclusive, and transparent. Working together, we can meet the growing healthcare needs of our community and earn support for this critical project."

Leading up to the public hearing in March, Harris Health officials were directed to also adhere to adjusted amendments, including:

• Setting a public meeting within each Harris County precinct before January
• Advertising meetings on Harris Health via multilingual flyers at the various service locations
• Holding the meetings during a designated weekday evening in an area within each precinct that is accessible to those with disabilities
• Ensuring meetings are multilingual

Dig deeper

Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey expressed concerns with traffic and parking in the area and said he’d like to see what the city of Houston will do to collaborate on the expansion.

Community Impact reached out to the city of Houston’s mayor's office for comment.

On the other hand

Officials with the nonprofit, Hermann Park Conservancy, released a statement in early October about their position on the expansion.

“While the decision to move forward is not ours to make, our commitment is unwavering: we will do everything we can to protect the integrity, accessibility and future of Hermann Park for all Houstonians,” the statement reads. “We understand the critical need for expanded healthcare access. However, we also believe passionately in the role that public parks play in the physical, mental, and emotional health of our city. We are working hard to protect that legacy.”