Cook Children's
This is a rendering of the newly planned 'West Tower,' which is part of Cook Children's 10-year master plan.
Cook Children’s Medical Center is embarking on a 10-year expansion plan to meet the rapidly increasing demand for services in the region. The expansion comes as Fort Worth’s population continues to surge, now the 12th largest city in the United States, with 59 new residents moving to the city each day.
As recently as September 2024, 102 of Cook Children’s 106 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) beds were filled, reflecting a record level of demand for the hospital's critical care services. With Fort Worth’s population growth showing no signs of slowing, the hospital is taking proactive steps to ensure it can continue providing the highest level of care for the region’s growing pediatric population.
The centerpiece of Cook Children’s growth is the construction of a 700,000-square-foot medical tower, known as the West Tower. The new tower will be seamlessly integrated into the existing medical center, which spans 2.5 million square feet and will add an additional 37 NICU beds, expanding the hospital’s capacity to care for critically ill and premature infants.
The expansion will also include an updated Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), more operating rooms, expanded imaging services, and enhanced facilities for Hematology/Oncology services and research.
“We are already seeing capacity issues in key areas, and the West Tower will allow us to keep these kids close to home,” said Stan Davis, president of Cook Children’s Medical Center. “We don’t want to have to send children away to other states for critical care. The West Tower will ensure that the families in our community have access to the care they need, when they need it.”
The project is designed with the future in mind. The West Tower will include roughly 160,000 square feet of unprogrammed space, allowing for future expansion as the area’s pediatric needs continue to grow.
“We want to ensure that we can continue to evolve and expand as the population grows,” said Spencer Seals, Cook Children’s vice president of Construction and Real Estate. “The 700,000 square feet is just the beginning. This tower will be designed to support the needs of our community for decades to come.”
Along with increasing capacity, the expansion will focus on improving the overall patient experience, particularly in the PICU. The medical center’s current PICU, a 20-year-old ward-style facility, has long been an area of concern, with patients in close proximity to one another and little separation between beds. The new PICU will feature 56 private rooms, each designed to support the healing process with ample natural light and a quiet, peaceful environment.
“We know that a stressful environment can impact the healing process, especially for children and their families,” Davis said. “The new PICU will allow us to provide not only top-tier medical care but also the kind of supportive, healing environment every child deserves.”
Cook Children's 10-year master plan follows nearly two months after the Fort Worth City Council unanimously approved rezoning 5.77 acres in the Near Southside neighborhood for the pediatric health system. The rezoning mainly focused on lots owned by Cook Children's near Pennsylvania Avenue, 8th Avenue, Cooper Street, and Interstate 30.
Construction on the new facilitiy is set to begin at the end of 2025, a spokesperson for the network told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“This is an ambitious plan, but it’s exactly what we need to support the growing population and demand for services in our area,” said Rick W. Merrill, president and CEO of Cook Children’s Health Care System. “For more than a century, families have trusted us with the health and well-being of their children, and we are committed to ensuring that we can continue to be a beacon of hope for generations to come.”
