$177 million radiation oncology campus is becoming a reality after a gift from Sherri and Robert “Bobby” L. Patton Jr.

Ushering in a new era of cancer care in Fort Worth, UT Southwestern Medical Center broke ground today on a $177 million radiation oncology campus that will provide the most advanced therapies for patients of the nation’s 12th-largest city.

The 65,000-square-foot facility, which will include the city’s first MRI-guided precision radiation treatment, is expected to meet the growing demands for cancer care in Fort Worth and the surrounding area for decades to come. The campus is projected to open in 2028 and will be connected to UT Southwestern’s Moncrief Cancer Institute in the city’s Medical District.

“This milestone, once completed, will ensure that Tarrant County residents have access to the best available cancer care, combining the latest advances in medical technology with the expertise of our clinicians and researchers, who are some of the top cancer specialists in the country,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern.

“Fort Worth is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and our high quality of life is a major driver of that growth,” Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said. “To continue to meet this moment, we need world-class health and cancer care. We know UT Southwestern is at the center of that.”

A generous lead gift from esteemed philanthropists Sherri and Robert “Bobby” L. Patton Jr. is helping to make the new expansion possible. Their support underscores the vital role of private philanthropy in advancing UT Southwestern’s impact and ensuring that patients across the region have access to the most cutting-edge radiation oncology services close to home.

Robert “Bobby” Louis Patton Jr. is a Texas-based businessman and investor known for his diverse holdings and philanthropic work. He operates oil and gas properties in Texas and Kansas and invests in ranching, insurance, and construction sectors.

Patton is notably a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, having joined Guggenheim Baseball Management LLC, which acquired the team in 2012.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas, a law degree from St. Mary’s University, and a Master of Laws from Southern Methodist University. Patton also serves on the board of Security Benefit Corporation and is a member of the University of Texas College of Liberal Arts Advisory Council.

In addition to his business ventures, Patton and his wife, Sherri, are recognized for their philanthropy, including a $20 million investment in the University of Texas College of Liberal Arts.

“Fort Worth is one of the greatest cities in America. It should have great cancer care. This expansion will bring cutting-edge technology and vital health care to our community,” Sherri Patton said.

As many as two-thirds of cancer patients need radiation therapy, and the UT Southwestern expansion will create the largest radiation oncology facility in the Fort Worth area.

This will broaden access for patients of all oncologists and offer a convenient location close to home for patients living in Fort Worth and the surrounding area, who often require regular or daily trips for this lifesaving treatment.

The new facility will feature four linear accelerators (LINACs) to deliver precise radiation treatments to patients, with space to add two more LINACs to meet future demand.

MRI-guided precision radiation treatment—the first of its kind in Fort Worth – to facilitate therapy with unprecedented accuracy.

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is critical for diagnosing and evaluating tumor growth.

A fully equipped brachytherapy suite to provide high-dose radiation treatments for patients with prostate or gynecologic cancers.

UT Southwestern’s cancer program is ranked among the top 25 out of 4,500 hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Its Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Texas and one of only 57 in the nation.

UTSW also has the largest individual radiation oncology facility in North Texas, with some of the most sophisticated treatment machines in the world.

UTSW’s Department of Radiation Oncology specialists are pioneers in advanced therapies such as stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) and personalized ultrafractionated stereotactic adaptive radiotherapy (PULSAR), which have changed the standard of radiation therapy to make it more targeted and less damaging to healthy tissue.

Moncrief Cancer Institute has been a part of UT Southwestern since 1999, offering screening programs and educational and support services for multiple counties. In 2015, UT Southwestern expanded its cancer care to Fort Worth, offering medical and surgical oncology services, imaging, and chemotherapy.

The new Radiation Oncology campus will join UT Southwestern’s other specialty services at the nearby UT Southwestern Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center at Fort Worth.

This outpatient facility offers primary care and lab services and an on-site retail pharmacy, as well as specialty care clinics for cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology and endocrine surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology (ear-nose-throat), rheumatology, and urology. Expanded imaging services, including 3T MRI, two ultrasound units, CT, and fluoroscopy, were added earlier this year.

Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration and the Charles Cameron Sprague Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science.

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, 23 National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators.

The full-time faculty of more than 3,200 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 140,000 hospitalized patients and more than 360,000 emergency room cases and oversee nearly 5.1 million outpatient visits a year.