Covenant Children’s is proposing a six-bed inpatient pediatric behavioral-health unit in Lubbock, a project that would convert existing hospital space rather than build a separate facility.
The state accessibility filing describes a $6 million renovation of 7,500 square feet at 4002 24th Street. Its scope calls for converting an existing medical/surgical unit into the pediatric behavioral-health unit, with Boulder Associates identified as the designer.
A different setting from existing outpatient care
Covenant already provides pediatric mental-health services through its Relational Health Center, in partnership with Texas Tech Physicians. The hospital describes that center as an outpatient service, with care ranging from traditional appointments and telehealth to more structured programs.
For adolescents ages 12–17, the existing partial hospitalization program operates five days a week. An intensive outpatient program for the same age group operates three days a week. These are existing services described by the hospital, not a program schedule for the proposed inpatient unit.
The distinction matters for understanding the new filing. Six inpatient beds describe a hospital-unit model, rather than simply more rooms for outpatient appointments. The project could provide a different setting for care, but the hospital’s admission criteria, staffing and operational plans for this unit have not been verified.
Reusing an existing medical/surgical unit
The project’s construction scope makes reuse central to the plan: an existing medical/surgical unit would be converted for pediatric behavioral-health care. The six-bed figure refers to the proposed unit, not a verified net increase in the hospital’s overall licensed capacity.
The filing does not specify whether existing beds would be relocated or how medical/surgical services would be affected.
Estimated work in 2027
Construction is estimated to begin February 1, 2027 and finish September 24, 2027. The schedule and $6 million figure are planning estimates, not a confirmed service-opening date or final project budget.
For Lubbock families, the significant development is the proposal for a specifically identified pediatric inpatient behavioral-health unit within an existing hospital. Covenant’s established outpatient programs provide local context, while the new unit’s operating approvals and start of patient care remain separate milestones from construction.