Originally published by UT Southwestern

DALLAS – Feb. 07, 2024 – Children’s HealthSM and UT Southwestern Medical Center unveiled plans for a new $5 billion pediatric health campus in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District today. Spanning more than 33 acres, the new pediatric campus offers a patient-centric design that can meet the rapidly increasing need for more pediatric services ranging from the most common to the most complex. It will serve as a joint hub for innovation, academic research and training, and the development of lifesaving technologies to provide exemplary care for the youngest members of our community.

The approximately 2 million-square-foot hospital will have two 12-story towers and one eight-story tower to replace the existing Children’s Medical Center Dallas, significantly expanding inpatient, surgical and ambulatory capacity to meet the needs of one of the fastest-growing and largest metropolitan areas in the country. The pediatric campus, expected to open in the next six to seven years, will be built on the UT Southwestern campus on the corner of Harry Hines Boulevard and Mockingbird Lane, across from UTSW’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital.

Highlights of the project include:

  • 5 million square feet of construction
  • 552 beds (38% increase) with space for future expansion
  • Expanded Emergency Department space (15%) and operating rooms (22%)
  • Two helicopter pads
  • A Level I pediatric trauma center, 90 ER exam rooms, and 24 observation rooms
  • A connector bridge between the new campus and Clements University Hospital, ensuring continuity of care for babies with direct access to the pediatric expertise provided at the Children’s Health Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)
  • A new fetal care center to provide the region’s most advanced and accessible services for complex maternal and fetal health care, including fetal surgery capabilities at the adjoining Clements University Hospital
  • A new outpatient clinic building that will add 96 exam rooms to the 344 that will continue to operate at the existing Children’s Health Specialty Center Dallas outpatient facility on Stemmons Freeway at Medical District Drive 

“For more than 110 years, Children’s Health has served the children of North Texas, adapting and growing with the needs of our community,” said Christopher Durovich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Health. “This new pediatric campus, a joint investment with UT Southwestern, enhances our shared capacity to provide comprehensive care for children, including those with the most complex medical and surgical needs. It enables us to continue pioneering academic research, lifesaving treatments, and industry-leading technology for pediatric patients for generations to come.” 

“The pediatric campus is the next chapter in our more than 60-year partnership with Children’s Health and will elevate clinical innovation and transformative science that will benefit pediatric patients and their families for generations to come,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern Medical Center. “The expertise on our campus, supported by state-of-the-art technologies and facilities, will enhance our commitment to excellence and compassion in providing the very best care for children and position us to accelerate the future of pediatric medicine together.”

Demand for health care in Dallas-Fort Worth continues to increase as the population growth consistently outpaces the national average. It is estimated that by 2025, the region will be home to 8.5 million people. Currently, the pediatric population in the Dallas-Fort Worth region is almost 2.5 million, which is expected to surpass 3 million children by 2032 and to double by 2050.

Patient-centric design

Designed to optimize the well-being of patients and their families, the new pediatric campus will ensure that children receive the most advanced medical care for the entire spectrum of pediatric medical needs. The spaces will offer a unique environment that supports compassionate and personalized patient and family experiences, aiming to reduce stress and foster health and healing.

“Our comprehensive and team-based care approach is unique in the region, highlighted by specialists in every pediatric field who collaborate to provide compassionate, high-quality care for children,” said Maeve Sheehan, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Medical Center Dallas and Professor of Pediatrics and Vice Chair for Clinical Operations at UT Southwestern. “This type of care model has been front and center in our design process, guiding the creation of spaces that not only accommodate medical excellence but also prioritize the comfort, healing, and individual needs of each child.”

Deep history of collaboration and innovation

Life-changing treatments, rigorous research, and training the next generation of pediatric providers are the hallmarks of the Children’s Health and UT Southwestern legacy. The two organizations – rated among the top 20 hospitals in the nation in respective pediatric and adult care categories by U.S. News and World Report – began their collaboration more than 60 years ago and have improved the health of millions of children in Texas and beyond.

The new pediatric campus will draw upon the extensive academic resources and collaborative, leading-edge research underway at UTSW. The innovative design of facilities – next door to UTSW’s globally ranked research hub – will help recruit leading pediatric clinicians, established and emerging researchers, residents, fellows, medical students, and the most talented individuals in nursing, medical technology, and related health professions.

The new pediatric campus adds to the ongoing investments by Children’s Health to meet the region’s growing pediatric medical and surgical needs. In late 2024, Children’s Health will open its new Plano hospital tower, tripling the number of beds and significantly increasing clinical capabilities. In 2025, Children’s Health will occupy the second floor of the 150,000-square-foot UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird, part of the Reimagine RedBird development. It is also expanding access to care in surrounding communities with new specialty centers, a growing primary care network, and more – each a part of the organization’s commitment to growing with North Texas, anticipating long-term pediatric needs, and providing extraordinary care close to home.

To learn more, visit childrens.com/watchusgrow and utsouthwestern.edu.

About Children’s Health 

Children’s Health℠ is the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas and has long been recognized as a leader in pediatric health. Children’s Health campuses include Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Children’s Medical Center Plano, and multiple Children’s Health Specialty Centers. With its academic partner, UT Southwestern, Children’s Medical Center Dallas is consistently ranked the #1 children’s hospital in North Texas and among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Its commitment to excellence and providing outstanding care across all aspects of pediatrics has resulted in 10 out of 10 specialty programs being ranked among the best for six consecutive years, including Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology, and Urology.

In addition, Children’s Health nurses have received the Magnet® designation for the past 14 years, the highest honor for nursing excellence, and it has been named among the 2023 best places to work by The Dallas Morning News/Energage and the Dallas Business Journal and ­– for 10 consecutive years – one of the 150 top places to work in health care by Becker’s Hospital Review. 

For more information and to support Children’s Health, visit Childrens.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn, or subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty members have received six Nobel Prizes and include 26 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 21 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 3,100 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 120,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5 million outpatient visits a year.