Groundbreaking ceremony held for DHR Health’s eagerly anticipated behavioral hospital

PHARR, Texas – DHR Health has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new public-private behavioral health facility it is building in north Pharr.

The hospital campus will be located at 4800 North Jackson Road in Pharr and will include a new 161,000 square foot building. The City of Pharr is providing the land.

Following an appropriation by the Texas Legislature last session, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is providing a $85 million dollar grant for the state-of-the-art project.

“This morning, we are here to mark a major milestone, a very meaningful step going forward in addressing mental health needs, not only here in the Rio Grande Valley, but throughout the state of Texas,” said Marissa Castañeda, senior executive vice president, at the start of the groundbreaking ceremony.

“This day would not be possible without the invaluable support of our partners across the region. We are especially grateful for the City of Pharr. DHR Health’s new behavioral hospital will soon be built. This partnership has truly helped bring our vision to life.”

Yuri Gonzalez, the City of Pharr’s news director agreed.

“I’m truly honored to be here representing everybody that works with the great City of Pharr. This project really represents our shared commitment in improving mental health services, but also building a stronger, healthier, more resilient community, and that’s what we plan to do,” said Gonzalez, who shared emceeing duties with Castañeda.

“I’m truly inspired and seeing our leaders with the City of Pharr and just other great leaders coming together, making sure that this project, but most importantly, that this vision becomes a reality. So once again, congratulations to everyone involved in this great project,” Gonzalez said.

DHR Health currently operates an 87-bed inpatient behavioral hospital in Edinburg. The DHR Health Behavioral Hospital will have 100 beds, with a focus on providing a comprehensive approach to mental health care for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients. The hospital will also house intensive outpatient therapy programs.

“What an honor it is for me to stand before you this morning at what I call a transformational change in healthcare that is going on at the greater bedside that is our community. We as physicians are trained to heal and to treat patients and take those powers and knowledge and wisdom to be able to assess and then properly treat an individual mind, body and soul,” said Dr. Carlos Cardenas, MD, chairman of the board of DHR Health, in his remarks from the podium.

“Today, we stand at a crossroads. DHR health has been at the forefront of transforming healthcare in South Texas. It has been a transformational journey. One point four million people deserve the same level of healthcare to any other similar sized metropolitan area. And that is us.”

Piece by piece, DHR has been adding to the jigsaw puzzle, Cardenas said.

“Today, we break ground on a tremendous piece of that puzzle that has come forth as a cooperative, corroborative, public-private venture between DHR Health, the City of Pharr, the State of Texas, and our greater community at large. This is how great things happen. It’s how transformation happens.”

Cardenas added: “Welcome to the transformational kickoff today, as we break ground on our new behavioral health facility in South Texas, as we continue our journey to treat all of our patients, every encounter, every time, mind, body, and soul. Thank you.”

The new hospital is expected to open in the summer of 2026 and will represent Pharr’s first hospital. Pharr Mayor Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, MD, said the new hospital is “a transformative milestone” for Pharr and the Rio Grande Valley because it will bring critical mental health services directly to the community.

“Thanks to the support and partnership of DHR Health, the Texas Legislature, and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, this public-private initiative not only expands access to quality care but also strengthens our region’s healthcare infrastructure for generations to come,” Hernandez said.

Pharr and DHR leaders say the new facility will not only increase healthcare access but also create local jobs, stimulate the economy, and enhance the region’s healthcare infrastructure. They predict the hospital will help reduce wait times for individuals in need of inpatient behavioral health care, ensuring that residents in the Valley can receive the timely and compassionate treatment they need.

DHR Health CEO Dr. Manish Singh, MD, gave the closing remarks. He said:

“DHR is a vision, but DHR at Pharr is a destiny. It’s a commitment and it’s the future. We are grateful for the support of our partners, community leaders, and everyone who has helped make this vision a reality. Together, we are paving the way for a brighter future, one where health, resilience and opportunity are available to everyone. Thank you again for being part of this special moment. Thank you.”

Other speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony included state Senators Juan Hinojosa and Brandon Creighton, Vanessa D. Vale-Saenz, DHR Health’s vice president for behavioral health services, Dr. Delisa Guadarrama, medical director of child and adolescent psychiatry at DHR Health, and Terry Crocker, CEO of Tropical Texas Behavioral Health.

Editor’s Note: For more information on DHR Health and its behavioral health services, call (956) 362-4357 or visit https://www.dhrhealth.com/services/behavioral-health/.

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