After a historic $750 million gift from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, The University of Texas at Austin’s future hospital has a name: The UT Dell Medical Center. In addition to the hospital, the university is also establishing the UT Dell Campus for Advanced Research, which will focus on clinical care and research in combination with advanced computing and artificial intelligence.
At a press conference Tuesday, the Dells, along with state and university officials, emphasized the opportunity to build a world-class university medical center that integrates modern technology from the ground up.
“By bringing together medicine, science and computing in one campus designed for the AI era, UT can create more opportunity, deliver better outcomes, and build a stronger future for communities across Texas and beyond,” said Michael and Susan Dell in a news release.
The Dells’ gift is one of the largest ever given to a United States university. The couple are now the first UT Austin donors to surpass $1 billion in lifetime giving. They were also integral in launching the university’s medical school — also named for the Dells — with a $50 million donation in 2013. In addition to the new university hospital and research campus, the Dells’ latest investment will also support undergraduate scholarships, student housing and UT’s Texas Advanced Computing Center.
Dr. Claudia Lucchinetti, dean of the Dell Medical School, said the Dells’ gift represents a commitment to “fundamentally redefine health.”
“We are building an integrated, patient-centered model powered by AI and advanced technology that shifts the focus from treating sickness to advancing health itself through prevention, prediction and precision,” Lucchinetti said. “This will transform how we care for patients, how we train the next generation of physicians, and how we accelerate life science innovation to improve lives at scale.”
Courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin
A rendering of the new UT Dell Medical Center
The medical center is set to break ground later this year on 27 acres southwest of West Braker Lane and Mopac, west of the J. J. Pickle Research Campus in North Austin. It will be part of the larger announced research campus. The site is a shift from its originally planned location downtown at the site of the former Frank Erwin Center. Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT Board of Regents, confirmed the change in February, saying there would have been “limits to future growth” at the Erwin Center site.
Initially, it was announced that the project would consist of two separate hospitals: a university medical tower geared toward specialty care and an MD Anderson Cancer Center. Officials have now clarified that MD Anderson will be integrated into UT Dell Medical Center, bringing access to cancer care closer to home for the thousands of Austinites who currently travel to MD Anderson in Houston for treatment each year.
Courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin
A rendering of a classroom at the UT Dell Medical Center.
University officials were joined at the press conference by Gov. Greg Abbott, who said the medical center and research campus will spur economic growth in Texas and position the state as a leader in the life sciences sector.
“Texas already dominates in technology, energy and business, and now we will further cement our leadership in health care innovation as well,” Abbott said.
The medical center has attracted investments from other high-net worth donors, including venture capitalists Tench and Simone Coxe.
Details about the size and scope of the academic medical center are still forthcoming, but UT officials said it will include a hospital of between 300 and 500 beds, as well as outpatient facilities and a full-service emergency department. It is scheduled to open in 2030, with the full scope of specialty programs to be phased in by 2032.
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