DHR to begin construction on $25M behavioral health hospital in Pharr

Doctors Hospital at Renaissance expects to begin construction on a $25 million behavioral health hospital in Pharr this month, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records show.

DHR was awarded a contract with Texas Health and Human Services for 100 beds inside the 184-bed hospital that will span 161,000 square feet. 

Plans include inpatient beds and outpatient care for local residents, from pediatric to adult and geriatric patients, in addition to those under the care of the state. The facility will provide mental health services for state civil and forensic patients — which refers to those with severe mental health issues. Some require security protocols or are involved in legal cases. 

The project is funded with a $85 million grant through the Texas Mental Health Inpatient Facility Grant Program, an effort by Texas lawmakers to expand behavioral health access statewide. 

DHR already operates an 87-bed behavioral health hospital in Edinburg at its corporate headquarters. 

The new hospital is a public-private partnership that includes the city of Pharr, the state, and DHR. 

Officials previously estimated that construction would be completed in summer 2026, but state records show it should wrap up by December 2027. 

“This new state-of-the-art facility will provide exceptional care and be an integral part of the mental health services we provide to our community,” Dr. Jose Igoa, medical director of adult services at DHR Health Behavioral Hospital, said in a news release last year.