Texas Tech Plans $150M Permian Basin Specialty Center
The planned center would offer specialty care in six clinical areas to reduce patient outmigration from the Permian Basin.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Healthcare
Live Poll
Should state money be used to build a specialty care center in the Permian Basin?
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center plans a $150 million specialty care center near the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center, slated to open in 2030. The school will request $125 million from the Texas Legislature, with the remaining $25 million coming from local donors.
Why it matters
The Permian Basin loses approximately $92 million in healthcare revenue each year, largely from patients seeking specialty care elsewhere. The project is designed to keep that care and spending within the region for Texas residents.
The $150 million budget combines a $125 million legislative request with $25 million in local donations, and the center is projected to generate $50 million in revenue for partner hospitals. Whether the state will fund the requested $125 million remains unknown.
The players
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
A state-supported academic medical institution that is leading the planned Permian Basin specialty care center and its physician recruitment effort.
Midland Development Corporation
A local economic development body in Midland whose board of directors received the school's presentation on the proposed center.
The details
The school presented the plan to the Midland Development Corporation board and is asking local organizations to back the proposal to reassure legislators. The center would provide specialty clinical services in ophthalmology, burn and wound healing, oncology, urology, rheumatology and neurology, and the school is recruiting specialists this fall as part of a physician recruitment program.
Timeline
Upcoming legislative session: the school will request $125 million from the Texas Legislature.
This fall: recruitment of specialists for the center begins.
2030: the specialty care center is planned to open.
Market Landscape
The project responds to the outmigration of specialty-care patients from the Permian Basin identified in the school's two-year healthcare assessment. It positions a regional academic medical center to capture spending that currently flows to providers outside the area.
Residents of the Permian Basin who currently travel out of the region for specialty care could eventually access ophthalmology, oncology, neurology and other services closer to home. The center is planned to open in 2030, so no change in availability is expected before then.
The takeaway
A regional specialty care center would bring more of the Permian Basin's healthcare spending home, but it depends on state legislative funding that has not yet been approved.
What happens next
The school will request $125 million from the Texas Legislature in the upcoming legislative session, and specialist recruitment for the center begins this fall.
Further reading
Explore more on Texas healthcare coverage for context on regional medical access and funding.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Midland Reporter-Telegram.
Live Poll
Should state money be used to build a specialty care center in the Permian Basin?
