UT Southwestern is an internationally recognized academic medical center renowned for its research, regarded among the best in the U.S. for medical education and clinical and scientific training, and nationally recognized for the quality of clinical care that its faculty provides to patients at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, Zale Lipshy Pavilion, UTSW clinics, and affiliated sites of care.

The Medical Center has four degree-granting institutions: UT Southwestern Medical School, UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UT Southwestern School of Health Professions, and UT Southwestern Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health.

• The schools train nearly 4,000 medical, graduate, and health profession students, residents, clinical fellows, and postdoctoral fellows each year.
• Ongoing support from federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, along with foundations, individuals, and corporations, provides more than $767 million per year to fund faculty research.
• Faculty and residents provide care to more than 120,000 hospitalized patients, almost 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee approximately 5 million outpatient visits annually.
• UT Southwestern has more than 25,000 employees and an operating budget of $5.5 billion.

Mission

UT Southwestern’s mission is promoting health and a healthy society that enables achievement of full human potential. We:

• EDUCATE
  Physicians, scientists, and caregivers optimally prepared to serve the needs of patients and society
• DISCOVER
  Research that solves for unmet needs by finding better treatments, cures, and prevention with a commitment to ensuring real world application
• HEAL
  Best care possible today, with continuous improvement and innovation for better care tomorrow

UT Southwestern Medical School

UT Southwestern Medical School is ranked in Tier 1 (top 16) for research, in Tier 2 (top 50) for primary care, and among the top 35 (#33) for Most Diverse Medical Schools, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-2025 Best Medical Schools rankings.

One of the largest medical schools in the country, UT Southwestern Medical School graduates about 230 students each year, accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). Educating and training the next generation of physicians and biomedical scientists is a core mission. To ensure that UTSW students are best prepared for the rapidly changing medicine, science, and health care delivery landscape, the curriculum is characterized by a focus on team-based learning, meaningful mentorship opportunities, and the integration of basic science education with patient care training and experience.

The four years of medical school are divided into three distinct periods for students – pre-clerkship, clerkship, and post-clerkship. The first 18 months in the pre-clerkship phase are focused on building knowledge in basic and clinical sciences through rich, team-based learning experiences. The ensuing 18-month clerkship phase provides the opportunity to explore clinical fields and includes:

• 42 weeks of rotations in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, neurology, and outpatient care;
• 12 weeks for students to complete a scholarly activity in an area of their choice, including basic research, clinical and translational research, community health, global health, medical education, and quality improvement;
• Six weeks of electives;
• Six weeks of Step 1 preparation time.

Students also complete two required courses in addition to residency essentials – Frontiers in Medicine and Physicians in Society.

The post-clerkship fourth year includes sub-internships and acute care rotations, electives designed to build strengths in the student’s chosen field, as well as courses tailored to ensure each graduate is prepared for the transition to residency training and future practice as a physician.

The Perot Family Scholars Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) prepares exceptionally talented individuals to become physician-scientists who will conduct biomedical research and translate discoveries bidirectionally between the bench and the bedside. Graduates receive both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. With major financial support from the National Institutes of Health, Perot Family Foundation, and other sources, the MSTP supports about 90-100 students annually.

Faculty members continue to educate physicians beyond medical school. UTSW has the largest graduate medical education training program in Texas, with more than 1,400 clinical residents who are completing their medical education with postgraduate specialty and subspecialty training. Faculty members also provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) to practicing physicians. In the most recent reportable cycle, more than 44,000 learning encounters were provided in 149 CME activities certified by UTSW.

As one of the largest and most advanced simulation facilities in the nation, UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Simulation Center creates real-life environments through innovative technologies, such as virtual reality, for health care learners to become skilled, compassionate, and competent clinicians. Our enhanced simulation program integrates best practice educational theories, high fidelity environments, and immersive teaching modalities. We provide learning opportunities to all disciplines and practitioner populations including medical students, residents and fellows, UT Southwestern faculty, and other clinicians. UT Southwestern also includes 20 core facilities labs that utilize state-of-the-art equipment to provide the support services necessary to help scientists effectively and efficiently conduct research.

UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

The Graduate School, with an enrollment of nearly 1,200 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, educates biomedical scientists, engineers, and counselors. Programs lead to the Doctor of Philosophy degree and some nondegree certificates.

Most students train to become scientists who will investigate life processes from basic molecules to whole animals. Students pursue their chosen fields under the mentorship of outstanding faculty, including some of the world's most distinguished researchers.

The Graduate School has two Divisions: Basic Science and Clinical Science. These Divisions include 11 programs leading to the Ph.D. degree – Biological Chemistry; Biomedical Engineering; Cancer Biology; Cell and Molecular Biology; Clinical Psychology; Genetics, Development and Disease; Immunology; Molecular Biophysics; Molecular Microbiology; Neuroscience; and Organic Chemistry. UT Southwestern is highly ranked in Biochemistry, Biology, and Chemistry by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings.

UT Southwestern’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, launched in 2021, is housed in the Texas Instruments Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Building and serves as a base for UTSW’s longstanding Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program.

UT Southwestern School of Health Professions

Nearly 400 students are enrolled in UT Southwestern’s School of Health Professions.

The school currently offers eight nationally accredited degree programs: Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Clinical Research, professional doctoral degree in Physical Therapy, and master’s degrees in Clinical Nutrition, Nutritional Health, Genetic Counseling, Health Informatics, Physician Assistant Studies, and Prosthetics–Orthotics. Most of these master’s programs average two years in length, while the Ph.D. program can last three to four years. As part of a world-class medical center, all of the school’s clinical programs effectively blend classroom instruction with patient care experience or research resulting in high licensure pass rates and job placement. The numerous opportunities for interdisciplinary education and training create a true distinction and the school offers four residency programs in physical therapy and one in prosthetics and orthotics. The school’s Physician Assistant Studies program is recognized among the nation’s top 20 programs in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings.

UT Southwestern Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health

Excellence for Impact is the cornerstone of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health. By engaging in research, education, and service that impacts health policy, clinical guidelines, and future generations of public health professionals, the O’Donnell School of Public Health is transforming lives and communities in Texas and around the world. Located in Dallas-Fort Worth, one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country, the O’Donnell School of Public Health partners with community members, researchers, and health professionals to identify and implement innovative solutions to improve health outcomes.

For example, the O’Donnell School pursues evidence-driven research to optimize clinical guidelines, in collaboration with several local large health care systems, including UTSW’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, Children’s Health, Texas Health Resources, Parkland Health, Scottish Rite for Children, and the VA North Texas Health System. In partnership with local and global communities, the faculty, staff, and students at the O’Donnell School of Public Health are addressing complex health challenges and responding to urgent health needs. Based upon a consequentialist approach to public health, the O’Donnell School prioritizes the outcomes of efforts to shape public health practice. With an emphasis on academic excellence, the O’Donnell School of Public Health offers the following degree programs: Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), Ph.D. in Public Health, Master of Science in Clinical Investigation, and a joint M.D./M.P.H. degree with UT Southwestern Medical School. Students impact public health, even before graduation, through internships within the community, service activities, and research opportunities with world-class faculty, including members of the National Academy of Medicine. The faculty in the O’Donnell School of Public Health are affiliated with four Departments: Epidemiology; Health Data Science & Biostatistics; Health Economics, Systems, and Policy; and Social & Behavioral Sciences. One way that interdisciplinary collaboration is supported is through research programs, including Implementation & Improvement Science; Data Science for Precision Health; and Child and Adolescent Population Health.

Founded in 2022, the O’Donnell School of Public Health is the first new school established at UT Southwestern Medical Center in the past half-century. UT Southwestern Medical Center received a $100 million gift from the O’Donnell Foundation to endow and support its new School of Public Health – the largest founding gift ever to a School of Public Health.

Accreditations and Scholarship

UT Southwestern Medical Center is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. UTSW also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about our accreditation may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling 404-679-4500, or by accessing SACSCOC’s website.

In addition to institutional accreditation, several programs hold accreditations from programmatic accrediting organizations:

• UT Southwestern Medical School – Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
• Clinical Psychology – American Psychological Association (APA)
• Clinical Nutrition – Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND; related to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly the American Dietetic Association)
• Physical Therapy – American Physical Therapy Association Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (APTA-CAPTE)
• Physician Assistant Studies – Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)
• Prosthetics/Orthotics – National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education/Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (NCOPE/CAAHEP)
• Genetic Counseling – Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC)
• Medical Physics Track (within Biomedical Engineering) – Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP)

Two post-graduate training programs hold accreditations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation:

• Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (in association with Parkland Memorial Hospital) – American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
• Radiation Oncology Medical Physics – Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP)

UT Southwestern has more than 150 philanthropic student scholarships and awards.

Outstanding Faculty

The excellence of any educational institution is determined by the caliber of its people. UT Southwestern’s faculty has many distinguished members, notably:

• Six Nobel Prize recipients since 1985
  • In 1985, Michael Brown, M.D., and Joseph Goldstein, M.D., shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of the basic mechanism of cholesterol metabolism. Dr. Goldstein is Chair of Molecular Genetics at UT Southwestern, and Dr. Brown directs the Erik Jonsson Center for Research in Molecular Genetics and Human Disease.
  • Johann Deisenhofer, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of the Green Center for Systems Biology and Biophysics and a former Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at UT Southwestern, shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for using X-ray crystallography to describe the structure of a protein involved in photosynthesis.
  • The late Alfred Gilman, M.D., Ph.D., shared the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of G proteins and the role they play in the complex processes by which cells communicate with each other. Dr. Gilman, a Regental Professor Emeritus who died in December 2015, served in numerous leadership roles at UT Southwestern during his illustrious career, including as Chair of Pharmacology and subsequently as Provost and Dean of UT Southwestern Medical School.
  • Bruce Beutler, M.D., Director of the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with two other scientists for their immune system investigations. Dr. Beutler was honored for the discovery of receptor proteins that recognize disease-causing agents and activate innate immunity, the first step in the body’s immune response.
  • Thomas C. Südhof, M.D., former Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at UT Southwestern, shared the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with two other scientists for their discoveries about how cellular transport systems work. Dr. Südhof, now at Stanford University School of Medicine, was recognized for his pioneering work performed at UT Southwestern on synaptic transmission, the process by which brain cells communicate with each other via chemical signals passed through the spaces, or synapses, between them.
• 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors attainable by an American scientist
• 23 members of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)
• 14 investigators with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
• 11 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 5 fellows of the National Academy of Inventors
• 1 member of the National Academy of Engineering
• 3 Breakthrough Prize recipients
• In 2016, Helen H. Hobbs, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Genetics, received the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences in recognition of transformative genetics research techniques she developed and used to identify key genes involved in lipid metabolism and fatty liver disease.
• In 2019, Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology and Director of the Center for Inflammation Research, received the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his achievements in explaining how DNA triggers immune and autoimmune responses from the interior of a cell through the discovery of the DNA-sensing enzyme cGAS.
• In 2023, Masashi Yanagisawa, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Genetics, received the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his discovery of the cause of narcolepsy in work that has led to new treatments for this condition that results in dangerous daytime sleepiness.

In 2024, Dr. Chen was named the recipient of the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, in recognition of his discovery of the cGAS enzyme. This breakthrough solved a pivotal biomedical mystery of how DNA stimulates immune and inflammatory responses and holds promise for therapeutic interventions that target myriad illnesses.

Since 1998, the Endowed Scholars Program in Medical Science has provided support to more than 140 newly appointed tenure-track assistant professors, recruiting some of the best and brightest minds to UT Southwestern and laying the foundation for continued excellence in biomedical research.

UT Southwestern has hosted one of 12 HHMI principal laboratories in the United States since 1986.

Research

Research is the cornerstone upon which world-class medical education and patient care are built. Investigations into cancer, neuroscience, heart disease and stroke, arthritis, diabetes, and many other fields keep UT Southwestern at the forefront of medical progress.

UT Southwestern scientists are currently leading more than 5,990 research projects annually with more than $767 million in support from the National Institutes of Health, the state of Texas, foundations, individuals, and corporations. UT Southwestern is ranked No. 4 globally among health care institutions by Nature Index for publishing high-quality scientific research. UTSW also ranked in the top 30 institutions in biological sciences nationally and in biological and health sciences globally. More than 15 UT Southwestern scientists are among the 2024 Highly Cited Researchers listed in the top 1% of researchers from across the globe, according to the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate.

UT Southwestern’s campus includes more than 1 million square feet of research space. Facilities include 20 endowed centers. These include one of 11 NIH Nutrition Obesity Research Centers in the nation – and the only one in Texas; one of 30 research sites in the U.S. participating in the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) Consortium; and one of 31 Rare Disease Centers of Excellence (charter member) in the nation.

The Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, redesignated by the National Cancer Institute as a Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2021, is one of the nation’s premier institutions for innovative basic science and translational cancer research, as well as up-to-date treatment of the highest quality. The Simmons Cancer Center is recognized among the top 25 cancer programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and is among only 32 U.S. cancer research centers to be designated by the NCI as a National Clinical Trials Network Lead Academic Participating Site. UTSW is home to two SPORE grants – Kidney Cancer SPORE and Lung Cancer SPORE. These prestigious programs are funded by the National Cancer Institute to promote collaborative, interdisciplinary, translational research focused on specific organ sites or groups of related cancers.

UT Southwestern, with its Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, ranks as one of the nation’s top 20 hospitals for neurology, neurosurgery, and rehabilitative care, according to U.S. News and World Report. In 2022 , UT Southwestern completed a five-year, $1 billion campaign to fuel its commitment to advance brain research and clinical care, making the O’ Donnell Brain Institute one of the largest brain-focused investments at a U.S. academic medical center. The 2,200-plus faculty and staff in the O’Donnell Brain Institute focus on collaborative efforts to provide comprehensive, personalized care for even the most complex cases. The Institute offers treatments for more than 200 conditions including Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative disorders, stroke and cerebrovascular disorders, movement disorders and ALS, treatment-resistant depression and psychiatric diseases, and spine conditions. The comprehensive Institute, designated as a Neuroscience Clinical Trials Center Network of Excellence, encompasses the Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Translational Neurodegeneration Research, Texas Institute for Brain Injury and Repair, Mobility Foundation Center for Rehabilitation Research, Annette G. Strauss Center for Neuro-Oncology, Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, and the Advanced Imaging Research Center.

The Texas Institute for Brain Injury and Repair, a component within the O’Donnell Brain Institute, focuses the Medical Center’s strengths in basic and translational research on various types of brain injury and conditions, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. The Institute also promotes brain injury education and prevention. UTSW’s Whole Brain Microscopy Facility, supported by the Texas Institute for Brain Injury and Repair, leverages leading-edge technologies to advance the study of traumatic brain injury.

UT Southwestern’s Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine is advancing human health through discoveries of the fundamental mechanisms of tissue formation and repair as well as the use of this knowledge to develop transformative strategies and medications to enhance tissue regeneration.

The Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics is driving innovation in science and patient care by analyzing massive data sets and supporting the computational needs of researchers and clinicians on campus who are addressing scientific and medical challenges.

At UT Southwestern, research on basic life processes and specific diseases goes hand in hand. Our discoveries make a difference.

Patient Care

UT Southwestern cares for more than 120,000 hospitalized patients and oversees nearly 5 million outpatient visits a year across its owned and affiliated hospitals. The institution also partners with Texas Health Resources in a clinically integrated health care network known as Southwestern Health Resources, which serves the 16-county North Texas region that is home to more than 8.5 million people.

UT Southwestern’s faculty physicians provide patient care at multiple locations including:

• William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital
• Zale Lipshy Pavilion
• More than 70 outpatient clinics
• Parkland Health
• Children’s Health
• Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
• VA North Texas Health Care System
• Other affiliated hospitals and community clinics

Physicians and health care professionals provide approximately $133.4 million in uncompensated clinical services annually. In addition, the UT Southwestern Clinically Affiliated Physicians network, UTSCAP, continues to grow rapidly with about 400 UTSCAP physicians practicing in approximately 55 sites throughout the metroplex.

UTSW’s nationally recognized flagship William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, named in honor of the legendary Texas governor in recognition of his gift of $100 million, remains a crucial component for integrating UT Southwestern’s three core missions – clinical care, training, and clinical and translational research. The triple-tower, 12-story Clements University Hospital and accompanying Zale Lipshy Pavilion features more than 820 beds and offers a complete range of emergency, specialty, and surgical care in more than 80 specialties and subspecialties.

Physicians and researchers at UT Southwestern seamlessly integrate breakthroughs in basic science, advances in comprehensive clinical services, and the development of innovative education and prevention programs to propel overall excellence that sets the Medical Center apart. As appropriate, patients have the opportunity to go beyond state-of-the-art treatments to participate in innovative clinical trials.

The Dallas campus also includes multiple outpatient clinic facilities, including James W. Aston Ambulatory Care Center, Charles Cameron Sprague Clinical Science Building for physical therapy and rehabilitation, Professional Office Buildings 1, 2, and 3, Outpatient Building, Cancer Care Outpatient Building, West Campus Building 3 (WCB3), Radiation Oncology Building, and a Multispecialty Psychiatry Clinic at UT Southwestern at Empire Plaza 1.

The UT Southwestern Health System continues to expand its North Texas footprint by operating regional clinical medical centers to serve southern, northwest, and northeast Dallas County; Collin County and Denton County; and Tarrant County, including:

Dallas County

• UT Southwestern Medical Center at Coppell
• UT Southwestern at Empire Plaza 2
• UT Southwestern Medical Center at Las Colinas
• UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird
• UT Southwestern Medical Center at Park Cities
• UT Southwestern Medical Center at Richardson/Plano
• UT Southwestern Family Medicine at Texas Health Dallas

Tarrant County

• UT Southwestern Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center at Fort Worth
• UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at Moncrief Cancer Institute, where construction of a two-story Radiation Oncology campus is expected to begin in 2025.

Collin-Denton Counties

• UT Southwestern Frisco and UT Southwestern Primary Care at Frisco
• UT Southwestern Pediatric Group at Plano

The UT Southwestern Health System is nationally recognized for its patient experience.

• In 2024, UT Southwestern received recognition at Press Ganey’s Human Experience Awards, earning two of its top recognitions: the Pinnacle of Excellence Award, recognizing patient experience scores over a three-year time frame, and the Guardian of Excellence Award, recognizing the top 5% of health care providers in delivering patient experience in the past year.
• U.S. News’ Best Hospitals reported that UTSW received “excellent” ratings for both patient experience and patient services.
• UT Southwestern is ranked second overall in Comprehensive Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) for Patient Experience reported by Vizient, which includes 97% of all AMCs.

Affiliated hospitals and health systems include Dallas’ public safety net hospital, the Dallas VA Medical Center, the region’s top ranked pediatric hospital, and pediatric orthopedic hospital.

Parkland Health

Parkland Memorial Hospital, an 862-bed adult inpatient hospital on the east side of Harry Hines Boulevard, serves as the primary teaching hospital for UT Southwestern. More than half of the doctors practicing in Dallas County received some or all of their training through UT Southwestern at Parkland, which includes a Level I Trauma Center and Burn Center, both internationally recognized.

Children’s Health/Scottish Rite for Children

The UT Southwestern Pediatric Group provides care in more than 50 pediatric specialty programs, with Children’s Medical Center Dallas, part of Children’s Health System of Texas, serving as the primary pediatric teaching hospital for UT Southwestern. Children’s Medical Center Dallas, its flagship hospital, is recognized among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and the only hospital in North Texas ranked in all 10 pediatric specialties. The national rankings include the Scottish Rite for Children hospital in Dallas, which is nationally ranked in orthopedics.

Southwestern Health Resources

UT Southwestern provides care through one of the nation’s leading Accountable Care Networks, Southwestern Health Resources (SWHR), which blends the strengths of UT Southwestern and Texas Health Resources. The network includes 31 hospital locations, including five of the top 10 hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, and more than 7,000 primary care and specialist physicians and other providers who care for millions of individuals across 16 counties in North Texas. SWHR coordinates care for nearly 110,000 traditional Medicare beneficiaries through the ACO Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (REACH) Model, and is the largest REACH ACO. Southwestern Health Resources has saved the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services almost $304 million since 2017. The 2024 total savings was third in the nation out of 132 REACH ACOs, and SWHR achieved a 92.8% total quality score.

Clinical Expertise

UT Southwestern Medical Center is the No. 1 hospital in DFW for the eighth year in a row, according to U.S. News & World Report 2024-2025 Best Hospitals, and nationally ranked in 11 specialties – the most of any hospital in Texas. UTSW is ranked among the top 25 hospitals nationally in Diabetes & Endocrinology (15), Rehabilitation (15), Pulmonology & Lung Surgery (17), Neurology & Neurosurgery (19 tie), Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery (21 tie), Cancer (25), Otolaryngology – Ear, Nose & Throat (26), Geriatrics (27), Gastroenterology & GI Surgery (30), Urology (33), and Orthopaedics (49) by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals.

UT Southwestern, ranked No. 2 among all hospitals in Texas, also earned “High Performing” designations for 19 of the 20 procedures and conditions included in the U.S. News rankings: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; aortic valve surgery; back surgery (spinal fusion); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); colon cancer surgery; diabetes; gynecological cancer surgery; heart attack; heart bypass surgery; heart failure; hip fracture; hip replacement; kidney failure; leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma; lung cancer surgery; pneumonia; prostate cancer surgery; stroke; and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

UT Southwestern earned a five-star overall rating – the highest given – from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2023. UTSW is among only 9% of the nation’s hospitals that have achieved the gold standard Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for providing excellence in evidence-based patient care.

UT Southwestern is committed to being at the frontiers of science through its faculty and activities in basic, translational, and clinical research; to promoting clinical transformation through a dedication to excellence and innovation in patient care; and to educating and training future physicians, scientists, and allied health care professionals in programs that optimally prepare them for the changing landscape in scientific research and health care delivery.

UT Southwestern Clinical Transformation Initiatives enhance health care at UT Southwestern through emphasis on continuing quality improvement and patient-centered care with the latest technology fully integrated throughout its facilities. UT Southwestern patients have access to telehealth options, as well secure internet access to their health records, including radiology images, laboratory reports, clinic notes, medications, discharge papers, and summaries of previous visits to any physician in the UT Southwestern system.

The University’s Quality Improvement Program includes “Quality and Safety” information that offers transparency about quality measures and clinical performance.

Examples of the Medical Center’s encompassing care include:

Cancer

The expertise of the more than 350 faculty physicians who are members of the NCI-designated Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center extends to every cancer, from breast, urologic, gynecologic, lung, gastrointestinal, head and neck, brain, and skin to lymphomas, leukemia, liver, and bone marrow transplantation.

Cancer care provided through the Simmons Cancer Center includes Radiation Oncology services, offering unsurpassed technology and compassionate care in an environment designed to promote hope and comfort to those being treated for some of the most challenging illnesses.

Brain Function/Neuroscience

UT Southwestern’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute brings together more than 2,200 faculty and staff, including more than 530 clinical and research faculty in areas of specialty care including neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. The Institute combines foundational scientific research with clinical care, where members work to develop new therapies to restore and improve brain function, to utilize new imaging technologies to directly visualize disruption of brain function and structure, to understand how the nervous system generates integrative behavior and cognition, and to become a national center for excellence in the precise diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders. Clinicians and researchers collaborate to offer treatments for and find the root causes of more than 200 conditions including Alzheimer's disease and neurodegenerative disorders, stroke and cerebrovascular disorders, movement disorders and ALS, treatment-resistant depression and psychiatric diseases, and spine conditions. The O’Donnell Brain Institute’s vision is that, together, our work will create a future without brain disease.

Stroke

Certified by The Joint Commission at the highest level for stroke care, UT Southwestern’s Robert D. Rogers Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center also is certified by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association. UT Southwestern’s treatment of stroke is rated as High Performing by U.S. News & World Report.

Heart

UT Southwestern Medical Center is consistently ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s top 25 Hospitals for Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery. Six of UTSW’s procedures and areas of care – abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, heart attack, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) – have earned a "High Performing" rating, the highest available, from U.S. News. Heart and vascular care are integrated across different specialties to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and patient-centered care. Care is provided at Clements University Hospital, the Clinical Heart and Vascular Center, the Heart and Lung Clinic, and multiple regional clinics across the DFW metroplex. Our team includes multiple internationally recognized physicians and researchers and unique programs for complicated cardiovascular disorders. The Harry S. Moss Heart Center is dedicated to healing, innovation, and discovery as well as to educating the next generation of cardiovascular providers and investigators. UT Southwestern has made many groundbreaking contributions to cardiac care, including Nobel Prize-winning work in cholesterol metabolism, which led to the development of statin drugs – the most important contribution to cardiac risk reduction in the past 25 years, as well as discovery of the role of PCSK9 inhibitors, the next generation of potent cholesterol lowering medications. The landmark Dallas Heart Study continues to innovate in the areas of cardiovascular screening and prevention.

Transplant Medicine

UT Southwestern’s Transplant Program at Clements University Hospital for heart, lung, kidney, and liver is the largest in North Texas. In addition, our surgeons staff transplant programs at Parkland Hospital (kidney) and perform pediatric transplants at Children’s Medical Center (heart, liver, and kidney). UT Southwestern performed North Texas’ first kidney transplant in 1964 and is responsible for many innovations that have become accepted practice throughout the nation. In addition to a robust clinical practice, UTSW transplant programs perform cutting-edge clinical research and provide the most robust training programs in transplantation within Texas with transplant fellowships in Surgery, Hepatology, Nephrology, and Infectious Diseases.

UTSW’s Transplant Services Center provides services to hospitals and physicians throughout Texas, the nation, and, on occasion, worldwide. These transplantable tissues include corneas, sclera, skin, and musculoskeletal and cardiovascular allografts, which restore function and improve quality of life.

Pediatrics

Spread across 15 clinical departments, our more than 500 pediatric faculty physicians and more than 300 pediatric advanced practice providers are part of the UT Southwestern Pediatric Group, comprising one of the largest pediatric groups in Texas. We provide care in more than 30 pediatric specialties, including allergy and immunology, cardiology, pulmonology and sleep medicine, critical care, emergency medicine, endocrinology, gastroenterology, general pediatrics, genetics and metabolism, hematology and oncology, hospital medicine, infectious diseases, neonatal-perinatal medicine, nephrology, child neurology, combined internal medicine and pediatrics, and rheumatology. Pediatric surgical specialties include general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, pediatric and adolescent gynecology, otolaryngology (Ear-Nose-Throat), and urology. Additional pediatric specialties include radiology, pathology, anesthesiology, pediatric and adolescent psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and developmental and behavioral pediatrics.

Internal Medicine

UT Southwestern’s nationally recognized Department of Internal Medicine, with more than 850 primary and secondary faculty members, includes three Nobel Laureates, six members of the National Academy of Sciences, eight members of the National Academy of Medicine, four members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 39 members of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and 28 members of the Association of American Physicians. The Department encompasses three centers – Center for Hypothalamic Research, Harry S. Moss Heart Center, and Touchstone Center for Diabetes Research – and 14 divisions. Its faculty provides excellent education, research, and patient care for which the Department is renowned. These include five divisions – Hematology and Oncology, Cardiology, Digestive and Liver Diseases, Endocrinology, and Geriatric Medicine – which include rankings among the nation’s top 30 in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.