Central Health Opens Hancock Phase 1, Bringing Comprehensive Care to the Heart of Austin

AUSTIN, Texas — Central Health and CommUnityCare Health Centers today opened the doors of Central Health Hancock to patients, marking a significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to expand access to high-quality, coordinated care for Travis County.

Located at 1000 E. 41st St. at the Hancock Center—the former site of Austin’s flagship Sears store—the Phase 1 opening of the $150 million facility brings together the David Powell Health Center, pharmacy services, and lab services through Quest Diagnostics, offering patients a one-stop care experience in Central Austin for the first time.

The Central Health system—which includes CommUnityCare Health Centers and Sendero Health Plans—designed the campus to bring coordinated, whole-person care together under one roof.

“This is a major milestone for our system and an important step forward for the future of care in Travis County,” said Dr. Pat Lee, president and CEO of Central Health. “Hancock represents exactly where the Central Health system is headed: bringing services closer together, making care more connected and convenient, and creating a better experience for the patients we serve. As we open our doors, we are especially proud to welcome patients to the new home of the David Powell Health Center, where they will continue to receive the compassionate, high-quality care they deserve. We are so proud to open our doors and grateful to the partners, elected leaders, and taxpayers who helped make this remarkable project possible.”

A New Home for a Decades-Long Legacy

Among the services now operating at Central Health Hancock is the CommUnityCare David Powell Health Center, one of the most recognized HIV care clinics in Central Texas. Founded in 1990 and named after HIV/AIDS advocate David Powell, the clinic has provided comprehensive medical care and support services to thousands of patients living with HIV for more than three decades.

The relocation to Central Health Hancock allows the CommUnityCare David Powell Health Center to continue its legacy of care in a modernized, expanded environment—one designed to meet the growing needs of patients while remaining rooted in the values of dignity, access, and community. Co-locating the clinic within a larger health care campus also helps reduce the stigma associated with HIV care, ensuring patients are met with respect at every step of their care journey.

“Central to everything that we do as a system, as practitioners, is upholding the dignity of our patients, ensuring their full, whole-person needs are addressed,” said Dr. Nicholas Yagoda, CommUnityCare Health Centers CEO and executive vice president of ambulatory services at Central Health. “This is one of the greatest realizations of that promise—primary care, specialty care, behavioral health, dentistry, acute walk-in clinics, laboratory services, diagnostic services, all woven together so that this is not a one-size-fits-all. This is a one-size-fits-one, and each individual will have their unique experience when they walk through these doors.”

One-Stop Care for Travis County Residents

Phase 1 services now available at Central Health Hancock include:

• David Powell Health Center — HIV treatment and prevention services, relocating from its longtime location to a modernized clinical environment.
• Pharmacy services — On-site CommUnityCare pharmacy serving patients across the Central Health system.
• Lab services — Quest Diagnostics on-site, providing convenient diagnostic services for patients.

CommUnityCare Convenient Care services, currently operating at the Central Health Capital Plaza Specialty Clinic, are set to begin services by mid-May.

A Building With History, Reimagined for the Future

The Central Health Hancock site transforms the former Sears department store—a fixture of the Central Austin community since it opened in 1963—into a health care hub with 90,000 square feet of clinical space as part of a nearly 200,000-square-foot campus. Construction began in fall 2024 and represents a $150 million investment for the Central Health system, approved by the Central Health Board of Managers in fiscal year 2021.

The project was financed through certificates of obligation—a form of long-term municipal debt—allowing Central Health to spread costs over time and preserve reserves for patient care. Owning the property also saves taxpayer dollars down the road, avoiding the ongoing expense of leasing comparable space. This approach reflects Central Health’s commitment to fiscal stewardship and maximizing the value of every public dollar.

Looking Ahead: Phase 2 and the Full Hancock Opening

Phase 1 represents the first step in a broader transformation of the Central Health Hancock facility. When construction on the full facility is complete—anticipated in 2027—the nearly 200,000-square-foot site will become the flagship headquarters of the Central Health system, housing:

• Expanded primary and specialty care services
• Administrative offices for Central Health, CommUnityCare Health Centers, and Sendero Health Plans
• Central Health Board of Managers meeting space and community rooms
• Additional clinical capacity to reduce wait times and serve patients

At completion, Central Health Hancock will be the largest facility in the Central Health system, designed to serve as both a clinical hub and the operational heart of a unified, patient-centered system of care.