Eighty-five years ago, North Texas was considered a medical wilderness, so it’s impossible not to be awed by the profound transformation of Southwestern Medical College on the Old Parkland campus into the internationally renowned UT Southwestern Medical Center, with facilities that stretch across North Texas.
Founder and visionary Dr. Edward H. Cary would be amazed by the state of this world-class Medical Center and the generosity from local business leaders and families that made that growth possible. This issue of Perspectives is a celebration of the partnerships and generational philanthropy that have raised our region’s bar of excellence for health care.
To that end, we celebrate 15 years of impact through the Dedman Family Endowed Program for Scholars in Clinical Care, which was established with a generous gift from the Dedman Foundation. This endowment provides UT Southwestern with the resources needed to recruit promising early-career physicians and contributes first-class mentorship from distinguished faculty and clinical scientists. This esteemed group of 35 scholars has pursued life-changing research in the areas of obstetrics, radiation oncology, dermatology, urology, and more.
Looking ahead, biotech and the life sciences ecosystem will be central to the continued economic growth of our region and key to building a healthier future for our residents. This burgeoning industry has seen tremendous success and growth in the past 10 years, highlighted by the recent designation of Pegasus Park as the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Customer Experience Hub. ARPA-H will deliver a vast amount of resources to our state and region with a focus on developing accessible and readily adoptable health solutions. For more insights from local leadership on what role your support can play in the future of North Texas, check out the Looking Forward to 100 sections throughout the magazine.
We are also delighted to be a partner with Children’s Health and UT Southwestern to improve health outcomes for the youngest members of our community with the construction of a state-of-the-art pediatric campus in the heart of Dallas’ Southwest Medical District. The new pediatric campus will meet a surging demand for care, research, and training in North Texas and is a true symbol of the collaborative nature of our community.
We recognize none of the incredible milestones we’ve experienced would be possible without the support of those around us. We embrace a time of leadership transition within our own ranks with gratitude for Kay Schlankey’s service as Senior Vice President and CFO and a warm welcome to Sarah Fletcher in her new role as CFO.
As we commemorate the accomplishments of the last 85 years, we urge you to join us in our continued pursuit of medical excellence for another 85.
Michael McMahan
President & CEO, Southwestern Medical Foundation