Texas Children's Hospital and UT MD Anderson Announce Joint Venture to End Childhood Cancer

HOUSTON, Feb. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Children's Hospital and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have announced a transformational collaboration dedicated solely to pediatric cancer care. Approved by the Texas Children's Board of Trustees and the UT System Board of Regents, this new, first-of-its-kind joint venture will unite the nation's largest comprehensive pediatric system and a top pediatric cancer program with the nation's leading comprehensive cancer center. The collaboration has a single mission: to end childhood cancer.

"The scope and scale of our combined effort will build the world's preeminent pediatric cancer center, addressing the growing need for excellent patient care and greatly benefiting children with cancer through increased access to care and to clinical trials," said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., President of MD Anderson. "MD Anderson and Texas Children's offer unique strengths that when brought together will accelerate improved outcomes for patients in Texas and around the world."

Collaborative operations and patient care will launch in early 2026. A focus on new facilities is required to offer patients and their families a best-in-class healing environment with the latest medical technology designed specifically with them in mind. Specifics are not yet established but will be forthcoming. The combination of Texas Children's and MD Anderson patient populations will increase pediatric cancer clinical trials, ultimately expediting discoveries and enhancing the availability of innovative cancer treatments. Texas has one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in the country and has the second most total pediatric cancer cases in the United States, creating a significant opportunity for scientific advancement through this joint venture.

"This groundbreaking collaboration between two proven leaders in pediatric and cancer care marks the beginning of a new era in the fight against childhood cancer," says Debra F. Sukin, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Texas Children's. "The combined force of our two iconic programs will be led with the nation's top talent—from clinicians and researchers to nurses and administrative professionals—each committed to realizing the shared mission of eradicating pediatric cancer."

While the two organizations have collaborated for years, this new effort will expand access while offering the nation's largest complement of pediatric subspecialty care and services to children diagnosed with all types of cancer within a single entity. More than 200 Texas Children's pediatric oncology specialists, who are full time faculty with Baylor College of Medicine, and over 100 MD Anderson pediatric clinicians and researchers will together advance this transformational care team. The collaboration will also feature pediatric oncology education programs aimed at training and expanding the next-generation pediatric oncology care team who will be key in our bold goal of eliminating childhood cancer.

About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The system includes the Texas Children's Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children's care for communities north of Houston and Texas Children's Hospital North Austin, the new state-of-the-art facility providing world-class pediatric and maternal care to Austin families. The organization also created Texas Children's Health Plan, the nation's first HMO focused on children; Texas Children's Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children's Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that is channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.

About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution's sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world, and, in 1971, it became one of the nation's first National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers. MD Anderson is No. 1 for cancer in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" rankings and has been named one of the nation's top two hospitals for cancer since the rankings began in 1990. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).

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SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital