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, 23 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 3,200 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 140,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5.1 million outpatient visits a year.
UT Southwestern’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital is ranked as the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth – the nation’s fourth-largest metro area. Twelve UT Southwestern medical specialties are nationally ranked, nine among the top 25 and three among the top 50. UTSW is among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide on quality measures.
UTSW Medical Center includes 20 endowed centers, is a Rare Disease Center of Excellence for adults and children, and is home to one of 57 designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation. UTSW is ranked No. 3 among global health care institutions for its published research, and its medical school is among 16 schools ranked Tier 1 for research.
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. Children’s Health campuses include Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Children’s Medical Center Plano and multiple Children’s Health Specialty Centers. With its academic partner, UT Southwestern, Children’s Medical Center Dallas is consistently ranked the No. 1 children’s hospital in North Texas and among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Its commitment to excellence and providing outstanding care across all aspects of pediatrics has resulted in being ranked across all specialty programs for seven consecutive years, including Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Behavioral Health, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology and Urology.
In addition, Children’s Health nurses have received the Magnet® designation for the past 14 years, the highest honor for nursing excellence, and the health care system has been named a 2025 top place to work by Forbes and USA Today and one of the 150 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Hospital Review for 13 consecutive years. In addition, Children’s Health was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024 for its pioneering model to train physicians to treat children’s mental health.
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.