by JENNIFER BIUNDO
Through much of the last century, Buda and Kyle were one-doctor towns. Physicians such as Clay Lauderdale in the early 1900s, T.C. “Doc” McCormick in the 1960s and Danny Rouch in the 1990s tended to the basic medical needs of much of the community. Meanwhile, patients in need of a specialist traveled to San Marcos, Austin or San Antonio.
“I don’t want it to sound like we haven’t had good medical care, but we’ve had to drive to get it,” said Buda Economic Development Director Warren Ketteman.
But as Hays County’s population began to boom, the medical industry wasn’t far behind. In 2009 and 2010, Buda and Kyle saw a flurry of medical development, including the construction of a Seton Hospital branch in Kyle.
“We had that flurry of medical development there for a while,” Ketteman said. “We kind of had that medical gap. As we grew and grew, the medical community had not kept pace with that. I know we had a major outpouring of folks looking for care elsewhere.”
Though some of that initial surge has slowed, new medical practitioners and specialists continue to set up shop in Kyle, giving local residents more opportunities to get their health care close to home.
“I’m seeing that it’s actually picking up,” said Kyle Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ray Hernandez.
Seton Hospital opened a 307,000-square-foot, 112-bed hospital facility at the northeastern intersection of Interstate 35 and FM 1626 in Kyle, cutting the ribbon in October of 2009 and expanding just a year later.
In recent months, Seton has added specialty practices such as cardiology and oncology through the Hilltop Cancer Care Center.
“Instead of driving to MD Anderson to get cancer care, the same kind of services can be provided right here in Kyle,” Hernandez said.
In addition to Seton, other medical groups have set up shop in Hays County. Austin Regional Clinic (ARC), which operates 21 facilities in the greater Austin area, opened its first Hays County clinic in 2009 in the Plum Creek Uptown District at the intersection of Kohler’s Crossing and FM 1626.
The 21,800-square-foot medical center provides pediatric and family care, orthopedics, radiology, podiatry and general surgery. ARC officials are already considering plans for expansion, officials said.
It’s not just large for-profit clinics headed to Hays County. Last fall, CommuniCare, a federally qualified health center targeted at uninsured and underinsured residents, opened a clinic in east Kyle on Dacy Lane providing care in family medicine, pediatrics, dental health and behavioral health. The clinic could fill a gap for area residents who previously turned to the emergency room for primary care.
Despite a sluggish economy, small medical practices continue to head to the area. In the last year, Buda added a pediatric dentist and an orthodontist, Ketteman noted. Additionally, the opening of the Arveda Alzheimer’s Family Care assisted living facility on RM 967, as well as senior living centers like Huntington Estates and the Villas at Onion Creek, could spark other related practices, he added.
“I do believe we’re going to see other specialists come this way, especially in geriatric medicine, because of our senior population,” Ketteman said.
The development will be a boon for the area, he added.
“Medical is one of the key areas for any economic development,” Ketteman said. “It creates solid and well-paying jobs, it provides a vital service, and it keeps dollars in your community.”