St. David’s HealthCare recently announced the groundbreaking of 52 acres of land in Leander, Texas, for its new healthcare facility, to be constructed in phases. Construction is beginning with a freestanding emergency center, which is expected to open in the fall of 2017. The remaining plans for the site include a full-service hospital with 80 beds.

The first phase of construction will include an 11,200-square-foot emergency center with 10 to 12 rooms, and advanced testing capabilities including radiological testing and a medical lab. It will be staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians affiliated with St. David’s HealthCare and nurses trained in emergency care.

The emergency center and hospital will serve as an extension of St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, a Level II Trauma Center.