If you’re thinking about a career in healthcare, more opportunities are coming to ACC’s Hays Campus. Austin Community College District (ACC) broke ground Tuesday, September 22, on a new Healthcare Professions Building designed to expand the space and resources available to students preparing for high-demand healthcare careers.

Funded through ACC’s 2022 General Obligation Bond, the new building will accommodate 900–1,000 students at full capacity and provide additional space for classroom learning, hands-on training, and clinical preparation.

The building will support education and clinical preparation for programs including:

  • Nursing
  • Dental Hygiene
  • Sonography
  • Surgical Technology
  • Radiological Technology
  • Other healthcare professions

“When you look at the job needs in Central Texas, they’re really in three areas: infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare,” said Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, ACC Chancellor. “We are intentionally rethinking our spaces to solve for all three of those issues. This building focuses on healthcare, and Hays will help us double our healthcare programs to meet healthcare needs—not just in Kyle, but in Hays County and Central Texas.”

More Opportunities, Closer to Home

For students in the South region of the District, the new building means greater access to specialized healthcare education without having to travel as far to pursue their goals.

The expanded space will give students more opportunities to learn in environments designed to reflect the technology, equipment, and skills used in today’s healthcare workplaces.

“I am trying to build my basic healthcare knowledge and get a good start on a career,” said Liliana Flores, a Central Texas Healthcare Academy student. “More trained workers are needed in the healthcare field. There are always more people needing care, and costs are always going up, so they need people to help with that.”

The project comes as demand continues to grow for a skilled healthcare workforce. ACC’s School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing currently offers more than 15 degree programs serving more than 3,400 students this fall, with programs across the Eastview, Round Rock, Elgin, and Highland campuses. Students train for careers ranging from nursing and dental hygiene to diagnostic imaging, surgical technology, and emergency medical services.

For more information about ACC’s 2022 General Obligation Bond projects, visit austincc.edu/bond.