Spanning more than 33 acres, the new paediatric campus offers a patient-centric design to meet the increasing need for more paediatric services. It will serve as a joint hub for innovation, academic research and training, and the development of lifesaving technologies to provide care for children.

The approximately 2 million-square-foot hospital will feature one eight-storey and two 12-storey towers to replace the existing Children’s Medical Center Dallas, significantly expanding inpatient, surgical and ambulatory capacity. The paediatric campus, expected to open in the next six to seven years, will be built on the UT Southwestern campus, across from UTSW’s William P. Clements Jr University Hospital.

Project features include 552 beds, representing a 38-per-cent increase, with space for future expansion; a Level I paediatric trauma centre, 90 emergency exam rooms, and 24 observation rooms. 

Emergency department space will expand by 15 per cent and operating rooms by 22 per cent, while a new outpatient clinic building will add 96 exam rooms to the 344 that will continue to operate at the existing Children’s Health Specialty Center Dallas outpatient facility. Two helicopter pads will also be built.

A connector bridge between the new campus and Clements University Hospital will support continuity of care for babies, with direct access to the paediatric care provided at the Children’s Health Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU).

Furthermore, a new foetal care centre will provide some of the region’s most advanced and accessible services for complex maternal and foetal healthcare, including foetal surgery capabilities at Clements University Hospital. 

“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 of Children’s Health. “This new paediatric 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 paediatric patients for generations to come.” 

Daniel K. Podolsky, MD, president of UT Southwestern Medical Center, added: “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 paediatric medicine together.”

Demand for healthcare in Dallas-Fort Worth continues to increase as population growth outpaces the national average. Currently, the paediatric population in the Dallas-Fort Worth region is almost 2.5 million; this is expected to surpass 3 million children by 2032, and to double by 2050.

Patient-centric design

Designed to optimise the wellbeing of patients and their families, the new paediatric campus will deliver advanced medical care for the entire spectrum of paediatric medical needs. Spaces will offer an environment that supports compassionate and personalised patient and family experiences, aiming to reduce stress and foster health and healing.

Maeve Sheehan, MD, chief medical officer at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, and professor of paediatrics and vice-chair for clinical operations at UT Southwestern, said: “This type of care model has been front and centre in our design process, guiding the creation of spaces that not only accommodate medical excellence but also prioritise the comfort, healing, and individual needs of each child.”

Children’s Health and UTSW – rated among the top 20 hospitals in the nation in respective paediatric and adult care categories by the US News and World Report – began their collaboration more than 60 years ago.

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

Children’s Health is making ongoing investments to meet the region’s growing paediatric medical and surgical needs. Late this year, Children’s Health will open its new Plano hospital tower, tripling the number of beds and increasing its clinical capabilities. Next year, it will occupy the second floor of the 150,000-square-foot UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird. It’s also expanding access to care in surrounding communities with new specialty centres, a growing primary care network, and more.