Children's Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center are planning a new $5 billion pediatric health campus in Dallas' Southwestern Medical District.
The entities announced the plans Feb. 7, saying the project is designed to meet growing demand for pediatric care, research and training.
An 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, according to their joint news release shared with Becker's.
The new campus will be one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the U.S., according to Children's and UT Southwestern. In addition to clinical care, the new campus will facilitate clinical research and advancements in areas such as gene therapy, neuromuscular diseases, metabolic disorders, congenital heart disease research, treatments for rare diseases, oncology, solid organ transplants and neonatology.
Other features highlighted by Children's and UT Southwestern include a more than 33-acre campus; 552 beds with future expansion space; expanded emergency department space (15%) and operating rooms (22%); two helicopter pads; and a level 1 pediatric trauma center, 90 ER exam rooms and 24 observation rooms.
The entities said there will also be a connector bridge between the new campus and Clements University Hospital, a new fetal care center, and a new outpatient clinic building.
"For more than 110 years, Children's Health has served the children of North Texas, adapting and growing with the needs of our community," Christopher Durovich, president and CEO of Children's Health, said in the release. "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."
Daniel Podolsky, MD, president of UT Southwestern Medical Center, said in the release: "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."
Children's and UT Southwestern expect the pediatric campus to open in the next six to seven years.
More information about the project is available here.