Harris Health argues that Ben Taub Hospital is in such poor condition that renovating it to house more patients would be “throwing good money after bad.” Harris Health claims that “Every infrastructural system in Ben Taub Hospital is fast approaching its end of useful life.”

In fact, though Harris Health has offered no information on this topic, public records indicate that Ben Taub has benefited from more than $100 million in facilities improvements over the past ten years, with additional bond-funded improvements now underway. 

Upgrades to Ben Taub over the past 10 years and mentioned in Harris Health reports include:

2016-2019: $70 Million Expansion of Operating Suites & Tower Renovation
This bond-funded project expanded the number of operating suites from 11-18, and relocated supporting services on the second floor. The project included renovating the tower to house 20 specialty clinics, allowing operating rooms and supporting services to expand into the former clinic areas, as well as a $3.5 million renovation and expansion of the interventional radiology and MRI suites. 

2019-2023: $48.5 Million Emergency Department Renovation
This 89,000 square foot renovation added “10% more treatment space, additional private spaces and treatment rooms, and new equipment. The department has 104 treatment rooms, 86 emergency rooms, 13 psychiatric rooms and five resuscitation "shock" rooms.

2025: Updating of the 21-bed Observation Unit
The project included with 2 isolation rooms and 19 bays, and new Cardiac Cath Labs near the second floor operating rooms, with an additional room dedicated to electrophysiology procedures.

Examples of other projects:
2/26: Switchgear, ATS, Generator Installation $13,253,000
1/26: Green Elevator Modernization Cars 7-12 $3,500,000
7/25: Radiography Suite $220,000
5/24: Vascular Cardiology Support Office Renovation $3,133,976
5/24: New Echo Lab $1,478,332
4/24: MRI Suite Expansion $1,878,065
8/23: Green Elevator odernization $2,306,347
8/23: Interventional Cardiology Relocation $5,200,000
8/23: Central Telemetry Construction $703,000
6/23: Rehab Wound Care Relocation/Renovation $1,400,000
5/23: Hospital Freight Elevators Vertical Expansion $6,500,000
4/23: Observation Unit Buildout $5,500,000
5/22: NPC Levels 3-4 Buildout $5,500,000
1/22: Interventional Radiation Rooms Upgrade $195,000
9/21: Executive Suite Renovation $600,000
4/21: NPC Renovation $4,000,000
4/21: Tower Lab Storage Buildout Level 2 $250,000
4/21: Tower Lab Storage Upgrade Level 6 $150,000
3/21: Discharge Pharmacy Renovation $325,000
1/21: Teen Clinic Relocation/Renovation$500,000
12/20: Emergency Power Upgrade $3,000,000
6/20: Facade Renovation $7,000,000
1/20: GI Lab Renovation $450,000
11/19: NPC Life Safety Upgrade $150,000
9/19: Garage Elevator & Lobby Renovation $2,828,340
11/18: IR/MRI Suite Buildout $3,712,000
3/16: Tower Level 1 Clinic Registration Renovation $215,000
11/15: OR Storage Renovation $387,000