News

It’s official. The final steel beam has been installed at the site of South Texas Health System Edinburg’s new $100 million, five-story patient tower, bringing the project one step closer to completion.

During a socially distanced ceremony held on Thursday, October 7, to celebrate the construction milestone, South Texas Health System Edinburg leaders and staff were joined by members of the construction team, as well as city officials, to witness the beam being raised to the topmost part of the tower. The beam, adorned with a palm tree, the American flag and an STHS flag, was signed by hospital employees, local physicians, the construction workers on the project and community members in the days leading up to the beam raising.

The five-story $100 million patient tower, officially at the midway mark in construction, will add 59 new beds, a new Emergency Department and expanded radiology services, and will increase the capacity of the existing facility’s Intensive Care Unit and Inpatient Rehabilitation.

“Throughout the years, we’ve continued to see the Rio Grande Valley grow and flourish, and with that boom comes an increased demand for quality, compassionate healthcare,” said Lance Ames, South Texas Health System Edinburg and STHS Children’s CEO. “We’re honored to have had the community’s trust for decades, as we’ve worked tirelessly to meet their healthcare needs, and we look forward to expanded services with his new patient tower. Not only will it serve the important purpose of saving lives and improving the health of the people in our community, but it will stand tall as a landmark of our commitment to excellence while helping create career opportunities.”

Despite the pandemic, inclement weather and labor- and supply-related challenges faced since breaking ground in December 2020, the project remains on schedule to open in the fall of 2022. Getting to this halfway mark in under 10 months without a single reported injury on the site has taken hundreds of skilled laborers – from construction workers to electricians and plumbers — with 80% of the crew based locally. And they’re thrilled to be part of history.

"Staying busy in an effort to see this project’s success and completion has been a good way to keep my mind off what’s going on with the world in terms of the pandemic,” said Thomas Stanton, an apprentice plumber with CTO Plumbing. “Living in McAllen and being part of this construction team and doing my part to help the structure go up has been a real blessing.

“It has been mind-blowing to see the structural changes that occur on this job site week after week. I have never really experienced or worked on a project like this before. So knowing there’s a purpose and a plan for this building, and knowing it will help the community heal, is an incredible feeling.”

To date, the construction crew has logged more than 150,000 hours on the project. With the final beam now placed atop the tower, work is now underway on the exterior walls and interior spaces.