New UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital Set to Open

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After years of anticipation, the brand-new UT Health San Antonio hospital is set to open its doors to the public on Dec. 10, 2024. 

The UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital is the first of its kind. 

Serving patients in South Texas, the hospital aims to be a hub for innovative therapies and treatments for cancer and other diseases while granting visitors access to experts in their fields of study.  

Let’s break down all the details about the new UT Health San Antonio hospital and how it will serve Latinos and all people in The Alamo City. 

New UT Health San Antonio Hospital  

The new $472 million facility stands at eight stories tall to house advanced interventional radiology, a specialized intensive care unit and an integrated imaging center accessible to 12 connected operating rooms.  

Located at 8311 Ewing Halsell Drive in San Antonio’s Medical Center, the new facility will serve access to specialty surgeries and procedures such as neurosurgery and spine and vascular surgeries.  

The new hospital will also offer targeted therapies for cancer, orthopedics, sports medicine, and urology. 

With a patient and family-centered approach, the hospital has promised to deliver groundbreaking research in the way of clinical trials, including early-phase clinical trials for cancer and other diseases. 

“We will focus on delivering patient-centered innovation, where every therapy and research effort will be designed with each patient’s unique needs in mind,” said Dr. Robert Hromas, acting president of UT Health San Antonio, in a news release. “This isn’t just a hospital; it’s a place that will offer individualized, life-changing treatments, with the medical expertise of our more than 1,600 medical providers. 

Along with employing many medical providers, it will also bring 800 new jobs to the city, including medical trainees, residents, fellows, and nursing students.  

Improving Access to Cancer Care 

The new facility is poised to have a profound impact on the lives of cancer patients in South Texas, which is home to a large population of Latinos. 

Connected via sky bridge to the Mays Cancer Center, the new hospital will hopefully alleviate some of the stress on the home of the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, which many visit to receive treatment for cancer, including many Latinos.

“The new hospital allows us to extend the exceptional outpatient care already offered by Mays Cancer Center and UT Health Physicians into the inpatient setting – delivering comprehensive, seamless care across the full spectrum of our patients’ needs,” said Jeff Flowers, the hospital’s inaugural chief executive officer.

Given its proximity to the Mays Cancer Center, the new hospital will be able to increase the type of treatment options available while accommodating patients from one facility to the next.  

Patients will have access to immunologic and stem cell therapies for cancer, including bone marrow transplants and CAR-T cell therapy.

“From the patient and family perspective, a major advantage is knowing they’ll receive advanced, state-of-the-art care that is among the best in the country, right here in San Antonio,” Flowers said. “Cancer patients, in particular, will have access to hundreds of clinical trials and a team of specialized experts, including those focused on cancers that deeply affect this community, like liver, lung, breast and prostate cancers.” 

Increasing Cancer Clinical Trial Participation for Latinos 

Despite making up 19.5% of the US population, Latinos continue to be underserved and underrepresented in clinical trials, which are studies with volunteers that test ways to find, prevent, and treat cancer and other diseases, such as cancer.  

There are many cultural and racial barriers that keep Latinos from participating in clinical trials, including a strong distrust of healthcare and research, lack of access to clinical trials because of distance, a misunderstanding of clinical trials, and language. 

Latinos are also disproportionately impacted by cancer.   

In fact, cases of Latino cancer are expected to rise by 142% by 2030. 

What’s more, those diagnosed with cancer in general don’t seek out a clinical trial.  

According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology led by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and others, only one out of every five diagnosed with cancer seeks a clinical trial.  

This is especially staggering given the fact that there are many benefits to participating in clinical trials, including helping improve quality of life and reduce the side effects of treatment. 

To learn about clinical trials, visit the Salud America! clinical trials page.  

In San Antonio, search the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio’s Find a Clinical Trial database to learn more about available clinical trials and eligibility requirements. 

To check out clinical trials nationality, visit clinicaltrials.gov to find a clinical trial near you. 

Latino Post-Cancer Clinical Trial in South Texas and South Florida 

Those currently going through treatment for cancer aren’t the only ones who can benefit from clinical trials or research studies.  

Some explore life after cancer treatment.  

For instance, the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship study at UT Health San Antonio takes a look at influences, such as cultural, biological, behavioral, and mental, and their impact on post-cancer life.  

Recruiting in South Florida and South Texas, Avanzando Caminos is a study that examines these influences in Hispanic and Latino cancer survivors over a five-year period through a series of study visits, assessment interviews, and a few blood draws. 

The study led by Dr. Amelie Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio and the Mays Cancer Center, it looking to enroll Latino survivors aged 18 or older who have completed primary treatment for breast, colon, kidney, liver, lung, prostate, stomach or cervical cancer within the last 10 years. 

Eligible participants could earn up to $50 per visit.  

Those interested in participating can visit the Avanzando Caminos website to fill out a quick survey in English or Spanish or contact a member of the study team at 210-562-6514 or caminos@uthscsa.edu. 

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