UT Southwestern Medical Center has been selected to operate the Texas Behavioral Health Center, the first state acute care behavioral health hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with plans to care for its first patients this summer. Developed in partnership with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the nearly 505,000-square-foot hospital is a key part of the state’s comprehensive plan to expand inpatient psychiatric services.
When fully operational, the hospital will provide 292 beds, both civil and forensic, to serve adult and pediatric patients. Dr. Hicham Ibrahim, M.D., M.B.A., Professor of Psychiatry and Vice President and Senior Executive Officer of Ambulatory Services at UT Southwestern, will serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer. He noted plans to introduce new models of care: “We plan to introduce new models of care over time, such as interventional psychiatry. These services are designed to expand access, improve outcomes, and strengthen the continuum of behavioral health care for North Texas and the state.”
Integration With Regional Healthcare
The Texas Behavioral Health Center is located in Dallas’ Southwestern Medical District at the southwest corner of Medical District Drive and Harry Hines Boulevard near Zale Lipshy Pavilion, Parkland Memorial Hospital, and Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Children’s Health donated $261 million to support construction of the eventual pediatric unit, which will be operated by UT Southwestern along with the adult units.
UT Southwestern brings extensive experience in behavioral health care, with faculty and care teams already delivering evidence-based, patient-centered care across multiple hospital systems and settings, integrating pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, and neuromodulation treatments with specialized medical care. Dr. Kala Bailey, M.D., M.B.A., Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs of Psychiatry, will serve as Interim Chief Medical Officer. She stated: “This new hospital will allow us to respond to the evolving mental health needs of our community. As the DFW population continues to grow, we will be ready to provide much-needed access to comprehensive, inpatient mental health services and set a new standard for behavioral health care for our community.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2025/dec-texas-behavioral-health-center.html