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St. David’s South Austin Medical Center broke ground on a $180 million expansion in March after several years of planning to increase capacity and meet the demands of a growing community.

“The expansion significantly broadens St. David’s South Austin Medical Center’s ability to care for patients across multiple stages of treatment and recovery,” said Dr. Malik Merchant, chief medical officer of St. David’s South Austin Medical Center.

The big picture: St. David’s will construct a four-story patient tower later this year, including a patient care unit, an inpatient rehabilitation unit, enhanced surgical services and lobby areas. Additionally, the expansion to the existing hospital will add new operating rooms, shell space for future operating rooms, a post-anesthesia care unit and a pre- and post-surgical unit, Merchant said.

The need: Charles Laird, CEO of St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, said population growth has increased the demand for high-quality inpatient, surgical and rehabilitation services. The improvements will help St. David’s recruit and retain skilled physicians and aid emergency room bed capacity.

Demand for hormone-based treatments for menopause and perimenopause has steadily increased over the past several years, resulting in a strained supply of some therapies.

“Considering that the peri and post-menopausal years comprise more than half of the average woman’s lifespan, this focus on perimenopause and menopause has been long overdue,” Ascension Seton OB-GYN Dr. Laura Eastep said. “Women deserve the tools to live their healthiest and most vibrant lives.”

The big picture: Perimenopause refers to the transition period before menopause, when women may start to notice changes in their cycle and other symptoms, according to The Menopause Society. Some women experience perimenopause symptoms up to 10 years before the onset of menopause.

“As medicine advances and women live longer lives, we are learning that hormone fluctuations can play a significant role in their long-term health risks, including risks of heart disease and low bone density,” Zakiullah said. “The right hormone therapy can help many women with symptoms and keep them healthier for longer.”

Check out some top trending stories from the Austin area June 22-25. 

1. Last Austin-area Hooters location closes

2. Developer of The Domain partners with legacy family on 1,200-acres

3. Universal Music partner joins White Rocks project to build hotel and private residences

4. Hays County denies agreement with 340-acre development over Edwards Aquifer recharge zone

5. Liberty Hill ISD students outperform state average on majority of 2026 STAAR exams

6. Georgetown veterans to have VA health care closer to home

The State Board of Education is nearing the finish line in its massive rewrite of what Texas public school students will learn about world and state history.

The details: The curriculum overhaul would shift the focus in social studies classes to a Texas-centered approach, deemphasizing lessons about world cultures and injecting more content about Christianity’s role in the founding of the United States.

Some educators and students have expressed concerns that the proposal lacks significant teachings about civil rights history, Japanese internment in the 1940s and people of color’s contributions to the nation. Meanwhile, Republican board members have pushed back, saying that the rewrite is necessary to teach students about American exceptionalism and Texas heritage in an attempt to undo what they called “a watering-down of American history.”

What's happening: The board has spent the bulk of its meetings this week making amendments to a 143-page social studies proposal, which includes hundreds of standards that students would be expected to learn each year. If adopted June 26, the new requirements would take effect in 2030.