UT Southwestern and Children’s Health receive $25 million from the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation for new pediatric campus
DALLAS – Oct. 03, 2025 – UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health℠ announced a $25 million gift from the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation, directed through Southwestern Medical Foundation, in support of their $5 billion transformative joint pediatric campus under construction in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District across from UTSW’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital.
In recognition of the gift, the Specialty Center on the new Dallas pediatric campus, which will house outpatient clinics, will include the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation Lobby.
“We are proud to support UT Southwestern and Children’s Health in this dynamic project to provide a new level of care for children in Dallas,” said Michael Calhoun, President and Trustee of the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation.
The pediatric campus, which broke ground in October 2024, will include Moody Children’s Hospital featuring two 12-story towers and one eight-story tower. The broader care site will significantly expand inpatient, surgical, and ambulatory capacity in North Texas to meet the needs of one of the fastest-growing and largest metropolitan areas in the country. The new campus is projected to open in 2031.
“The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation has long shared in UT Southwestern’s vision of transforming the future of medicine,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern. “With its extraordinary support of the new pediatric campus, we will advance care and accelerate discoveries that bring hope to families, healing to children, and the promise of a healthier tomorrow.”
“Harry W. Bass, Jr. was a visionary who believed in the power of generosity to transform lives,” said Christopher J. Durovich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Health. “This incredible gift allows us to continue redefining pediatric care in North Texas and beyond for generations to come.”
The Dallas-based Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation has a long tradition of advancing excellence in Texas by supporting organizations that enrich the lives of future generations. A successful businessman, philanthropist, and advocate for innovation, Mr. Bass believed in applying the same principles of discipline and precision that guided his career to his charitable giving. His world-renowned collection of rare U.S. gold coins, carefully curated for its historic and artistic significance, now helps fuel the Foundation’s philanthropy, extending his legacy by strengthening the educational, scientific, cultural, and civic institutions that form the fabric of thriving communities.
The Foundation has been a steadfast partner of both UT Southwestern and Children’s Health, funding initiatives in medical education, patient care, and community programs that expand opportunity and improve health outcomes. From championing scientific discovery to advancing access to quality care, the Bass Foundation has left an enduring imprint on Dallas and the surrounding region.
The new pediatric campus is a joint venture between Children’s Health and UT Southwestern. It will serve as a collaborative center for innovation, academic research, training, and the advancement of lifesaving technologies.
To learn more, visit childrens.com/watchusgrow, engage.utsouthwestern.edu/pediatriccampus, and give.childrens.com. For assets and resources for this announcement, please use this downloadable media kit.
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 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.
About Southwestern Medical Foundation
Southwestern Medical Foundation is a public charity and a registered 501(c)(3) with a prestigious 85-year history that all started with a question: “Why not a great medical center in the Southwestern United States?” The Foundation was created to rally citizens in support of the highest quality health care possible in the Southwestern U.S. Out of that community vision, UT Southwestern Medical Center emerged. Today it remains the Foundation’s partner and most significant beneficiary. Southwestern Medical Foundation is guided by four core principles: Service to Community, Vision of Excellence, Mindful Stewardship, and Best Outcomes. Each principle is a promise to donors, beneficiaries, and generations to come that the Foundation is dedicated to bringing the gift of better health to the Southwest and the world beyond. Southwestern Medical Foundation continues to earn a Candid (formerly GuideStar) Platinum Seal and Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating. These organizations rate governance, accountability, and transparency, supported by both qualitative and quantitative measures.