$25 million donation from Hamon Charitable Foundation will help UT Southwestern, Children’s Health develop joint pediatric campus
Generosity of Dallas-based foundation will help transform care for children in North Texas and beyond
DALLAS – Sept. 05, 2024 – UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s HealthSM announced a $25 million gift from the Hamon Charitable Foundation in support of the $5 billion transformative pediatric campus to be built in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District across from UTSW’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital.
The donation builds upon a long and generous legacy of philanthropy by Nancy and Jake Hamon and their foundation, with their giving totaling more than $135 million to fund biomedical research, education, facilities, and patient care at UT Southwestern and Children’s Health.
“For more than 40 years, the Hamons and the Hamon Foundation have helped to fuel the growth of our research and clinical programs, making an enduring impact on the health of our community,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern. “Their generosity and foresight have propelled the translation of discoveries into novel therapeutics and treatments for patients worldwide while also helping to ensure our ability to provide care needed by those in our own community.”
“The vision and investment of the Hamon Charitable Foundation across the past half-century have enabled us to provide comprehensive, compassionate, state-of-the-art care to the children and their families whom we are privileged to serve each day,” said Christopher Durovich, President and Chief Executive Officer at Children’s Health. “Their gift for the new campus will not only provide resources for the advanced diagnosis and treatment of childhood illness and injury, but also will include industry-leading technology for our team members in the years ahead.”
The Hamon Charitable Foundation was established in 1998 by the late Nancy B. Hamon, who became a leading philanthropist in Dallas following the death of her husband, oil wildcatter Jake Hamon. Over the years, gifts from Nancy and Jake Hamon and the Hamon Charitable Foundation have helped to shape UT Southwestern including support for construction of Clements University Hospital, UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird in southwest Dallas County, the Advanced Imaging Research Center, the Bryan Williams, M.D. Student Center, and the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Biomedical Research Building. In addition, the Foundation was instrumental in the establishment and creation of Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) and a pediatric mental health initiative at Children’s Health.
In addition, their funding of innovative facilities and trailblazing research programs, numerous faculty Chairs, and academics has catalyzed the UT Southwestern mission to educate, discover, and heal. The Hamons’ donations to UTSW, which now top $100 million, include the Nancy Hamon Breast Cancer Center Fund, the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Center for Basic Cancer Research, the Laura and Jack Roach Center for Translational Research in Alzheimer’s Disease, and the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine.
At Children’s Health, the Hamon Charitable Foundation’s generous contributions helped launch and provide a challenge grant for the Behavioral Health Integration and Guidance (BHIG) initiative, which advances early intervention strategies by pediatric providers for children experiencing low to moderate levels of anxiety and depression. The Hamon Charitable Foundation has supported the Fogelson Craniofacial Surgery Center, while also making a lasting and significant impact by funding game-changing discoveries through CRI.
“We are proud to support UT Southwestern and Children’s Health and their vision to advance pediatric health care and research for children in North Texas,” said Kelly E. Roach, President of the Hamon Charitable Foundation. “The Hamons’ generosity will live on in the hearts and minds of the thousands of children and families who will be helped by this tremendous pediatric hospital project.”
About UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty members have received six Nobel Prizes and include 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 3,300 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians in more than 80 specialties care for more than 143,000 hospitalized patients, attend to more than 470,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5.3 million outpatient visits a year.
About Children’s Medical Center Foundation
As the fundraising arm for Children’s Health℠, one of the largest and most prestigious nonprofit pediatric health systems in North Texas, the Children’s Medical Center Foundation provides philanthropic support through partnerships with individual donors, organizations, and corporations.
These funds support Children’s Health with the enhancement of care, discovery of cures, and building a healthier community across all Children’s Health campuses to fulfill the mission to make life better for children. All contributions to Children’s Medical Center Foundation directly impact patients and their families, ensuring the best experience, best care, and ultimately a fighting chance to get back to being a kid again.
About Children’s Health
Children’s Health is the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas and has long been recognized as a leader in pediatric health. Its campuses include Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Children’s Medical Center Plano and multiple Children’s Health Specialty Centers, caring for 370,000 patients each year.
In partnership with UT Southwestern Medical Center, it is consistently recognized among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. This commitment to excellence and outstanding care has resulted in recognition across all pediatric specialties for eight consecutive years, including Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Behavioral Health, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology, and Urology.
Since 2009, Children’s Health has maintained Magnet® designation – the highest honor for nursing excellence – and continues to earn employer-of-choice recognition locally, nationally, and globally. These honors include the Great Place to Work® Certification™, the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award and Top Workplaces recognition from USA TODAY and The Dallas Morning News. Children’s Health has also been named one of the 150 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Hospital Review for 14 consecutive years.