Abundant rainfall in Austin, Texas, last year added to the cost of the city’s new teaching hospital, according to an article on the Austin American-Statesman website.
The price tag for the hospital, expected to open in May 2017, has risen 5 percent, from $295 million to $310 million.
The main reasons are construction delays from rain and higher labor costs.
The new hospital will have “smart rooms,” including monitors that will be used for patient education, TV viewing and identifying staff members as they walk into the room. When a staff member checks a patient’s blood pressure, temperature or heart rate, the results will simultaneously be recorded on the patient’s electronic medical record, she added.