If you are considering relocating to the Austin, Texas area, you may have questions with regard to the medical facilities here. Basically, no matter where you live in the general Austin area, there is probably a hospital located within 10-15 minutes of your home, especially with the advent of the toll road system which opened about a year ago.

If you have children, it is important to note that Austin is home to Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, which is a world-class facility specializing in pediatric care. It began as Austin Children's Hospital, then moved to a location near the former Austin Mueller airport and dramatically expanded. It opened in June 2007. This hospital is part of the Seton Healthcare Network, and Seton runs a large network of medical centers throughout Austin. Here are Seton's other hospitals: Seton Medical Center Austin - This is typically referred to locally as "the main Seton" or "the Seton on 38th Street". My wife and I chose to birth all three of our children here, so I am pretty familiar with the maternity department, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Seton Medical Center is the largest medical/surgical acute care center in Austin right now. This location was recognized as one of the top 100 hospitals in the nation.

sBrackenridge Hospital is the only Level II Trauma Facility serving the entire central Texas area. They also received the presigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence. It is located in downtown Austin, on 15th Street, and "Brack" is accredited as a teaching hospital.

Seton Northwest Hospital is a 124-bed facility which also receives the Magnet Award for Nursing. They offer a full array of medical services, along with a Level IV Trauma facility and a Sports Medicine Center. Seton Northwest is located on Research Boulevard (183 North) just north of Braker Lane. I have visited several friends in this hospital, and the care seems to be superb.

sCedar Park Regional Medical Center - Now open to the community and serving residents in western Williamson County, this 280,000 sq. ft., 77-bed, $125 million medical center offers a hospital, physician offices, labs and diagnostic services all in one location.

In addition to these locations, Seton owns and operates the following satellite facilities as well as a network of outpatient clinics: • Seton Shoal Creek Hospital • Seton Southwest Hospital • Seton Medical Center Williamson (opening in February 2008) • Seton Highland Lakes Hospital The other large network of hospitals is operated by St. David's. Here are some of the main large hospitals in their network throughout Austin and the surrounding towns: St. David's Medical Center - Conveniently located on the northern edge of downtown Austin (32nd and I-35), St. David's has been serving the Austin community since 1924. They offer over 1600 physicians on staff representing every specialty. They also have the largest Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in central Texas.

North Austin Medical Center - With our three small children, my wife and I are also pretty familiar with the ER at the NAMC. I actually once wrote a customer service-related post about the kindness of one of the nurses there (The ER Nurse and the Convenience Store Employee - Where do you see yourself?). Located near the intersection of Parmer Lane and Mopac (Loop 1), this is a full-service hospital with a 228-bed capacity.

Round Rock Medical Center - This is another full-service hospital, with 177 beds. Located on Highway 620 west of I-35, this hospital provides a wide array of medical services, including a Heart and Cardiovascular Center, Women's Center, and a comprehensive emergency room.

St. David's also operates the following outlying hospitals: • Georgetown Hospital • South Austin Hospital • Rehabilitation Hospital (located at main campus - 32nd Street) As you can see, most parts of town are well-covered with regard to providing proper and extensive medical services.
If you have any questions or if I can gather any information for you, please let me know. If you would like to search Austin real estate for sale, please visit my website at www.austintexashomes.com. Feel free to call me anytime on my cell phone at 512-796-7653 or email me at jason@austintexashomes.com Jason Crouch, Broker/Owner - Austin Texas Homes, LLC