The University of Texas System Board of Regents has approved an $800 million project that includes the construction of the 424-bed University Hospital at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The project now goes to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for final approval.
The 12-story hospital is a key component of UT Southwestern's commitment to become one of the nation's top 10 academic medical centers. It will replace the aging University Hospital St. Paul, which opened in 1963.
"With the necessity of constructing this new replacement hospital came the ability to create a design that will enable us to provide patient-centric care as well as integrate our education, research, and clinical missions," said Daniel K. Podolsky, MD, president of UT Southwestern. "It incorporates forward looking approaches to patient care and embeds appropriate space to support clinical and translational research as well as education and training."
The $800 million total project also includes a dedicated thermal energy plant and facilities to support the hospital. Construction of the 1.3 million-square-foot project will start in March 2011 with completion anticipated in late 2014. University Hospital—St. Paul will remain fully operational until the new facility opens. The new hospital will be located on a 32-acre site on UT Southwestern's West Campus.
John Commins is the news editor for HealthLeaders.