New $5 billion pediatric campus coming to Dallas

UT Southwestern and Children's Health are building a 2-million-square-foot pediatric hospital in Dallas' Medical District.

Why it matters: It's a rare partnership between two major hospital systems to create one hospital together.

• The $5 billion project will help serve the needs of the booming Dallas-Fort Worth region .

Driving the news: The hospital systems announced their plans for the campus Wednesday, after dodging questions from Axios and other news outlets about the project for over a year.

State of play: North Texas is home to more than 2.5 million children, a figure that's expected to double by 2050, per a joint news release.

• UT Southwestern's focus on research combined with Children's pediatric expertise will likely improve care across many specialties, including maternal and fetal health.

Details: The 33.7-acre campus will be on the site of the former Paul M. Bass Administrative and Clinical Center off Harry Hines Boulevard.

• It will have 114 emergency rooms, 552 inpatient beds with space for a future expansion, a Level IV NICU with 96 beds, Level I pediatric trauma center and two helicopter pads.

Between the lines: Children's Health says the pediatric campus will eventually replace Children's Medical Center Dallas.

• "We are actively exploring options for the existing hospital, considering potential configurations such as ambulatory and specialized services," Children's says.
• A final decision will be made closer to the new facility's completion.

Meanwhile: Children's Medical Center Plano will open a new tower this year to accommodate Collin County's growing population.

• Children's and UT Southwestern are planning to open a 75,000-square-foot space in late 2025 in Dallas' RedBird neighborhood, as part of an effort to expand access to pediatric care in southern Dallas.

What's next: The new pediatric hospital is slated to open in 2031.