DALLAS, May 15, 2024 — Children’s Health℠ and UT Southwestern Medical Center announced a historic gift of $100 million from the Jean and Mack Pogue family in support of the $5 billion new Dallas pediatric campus, unveiled earlier this year. The gift from the Pogue Foundation is one of only four $100 million philanthropic gifts ever publicly announced in North Texas, and it is the largest donation yet to the new pediatric campus project, which will replace the existing Children’s Medical Center Dallas.
“Mack and I have had the blessing of being able to support Children’s Health and UT Southwestern for many years, knowing how much they impact the well-being of patients and communities they serve,” said Jean Pogue. “Our family is proud to play a part in helping build the new Dallas pediatric campus. We’re beyond grateful for the difference it will make for future generations of children.”
To recognize the Pogue family gift, the 33-acre site for the new Dallas pediatric campus will be named Pogue Park. The park will encompass the outdoor grounds surrounding the new facilities and will include sprawling green spaces intended to support compassionate healing and reduce stress in a restorative and natural environment.
“For four decades, the Pogue family’s generosity has been instrumental in our ability to deliver exceptional care that is helping to shape the future of health care,” said Christopher Durovich, President and Chief Executive Officer at Children’s Health. “Pogue Park will profoundly enhance the patient and family experience in our new Dallas pediatric campus, creating a respite reflective of our mission to make life better for children.”
Mack, who passed in early 2024, and Jean Pogue have generously provided Children’s Health and UT Southwestern with more than $200 million in support over the past 40 years. The gifts allow both institutions to deliver the best care possible while also conducting world-class scientific research that will transform health care well into the future.
“Through their remarkable foresight and philanthropy, Mack and Jean Pogue have advanced groundbreaking research at UT Southwestern, with a special focus on children,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern Medical Center and Professor of Internal Medicine. “The discoveries they have helped make possible will come to life through the multidisciplinary, cutting-edge care that children from North Texas and beyond will receive at our new pediatric campus.”
Bolstered by the Pogue family, Children’s Health and UT Southwestern are entering a new chapter in pediatric medical care, innovation, and research – building a brighter future for children as North Texas experiences unprecedented growth. The pediatric population in the region is expected to double by 2050, and with this growth comes the inherent need for greater access to exceptional pediatric health care.
“This powerful gift is the latest testament to the Pogue family’s desire that every child will have access to high-quality care when and where they need it,” said Brent Christopher, President of the Children’s Medical Center Foundation. “Their quiet generosity in support of health care and research has greatly benefited each of our lives in one way or another across Dallas and far beyond.”
Children’s Health and UT Southwestern unveiled plans in February for a new $5 billion Dallas pediatric campus. Located in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District directly across from UT Southwestern’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, the new Dallas pediatric campus will also be a joint hub for innovation, academic research and training, and the development of life-saving technologies.
To learn more, visit childrens.com/watchusgrow, www.utsouthwestern.edu, and give.childrens.com. For assets and resources for this announcement, please use this downloadable media kit.
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 support patients and their families, ensuring the best experience, best care, and ultimately a fighting chance to get back to being a kid again.
To learn more, visit give.childrens.com.
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 #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 10 out of 10 specialty programs being ranked among the best for six consecutive years, including Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, 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 it has been named a 2023 top places to work by Dallas Morning News and Energage, a best place to work by the Dallas Business Journal, and one of the 150 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Hospital Review for 12 consecutive years. In addition, the health care system 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.
For more information and to support Children’s Health, visit Childrens.com or like us on Facebook, follow Children’s Health on X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
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 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 21 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The faculty of more than 3,500 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 120,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5 million outpatient visits a year. Its alumni and former trainees comprise more than half of all physicians caring for patients in North Texas.
UT Southwestern’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital is ranked as the No. 1 hospital in Texas (tied) and No. 1 in Dallas-Fort Worth – the nation’s fourth-largest metro area. Eleven UT Southwestern medical specialties are nationally ranked, eight among the top 25 and three among the top 50. UTSW is among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide on quality measures.
The 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 ranked #24 for research and #26 for primary care.