Dell Children’s North Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

When Central Texans need to take their children to the hospital, they should never need to ask, “Where should we go?” The question should always be “How soon can we get to Dell Children’s?” 

Last year, the answer to that question improved dramatically for families living in the northern communities surrounding  Austin.  Earlier this month, former and current patients and their families joined donors, members of the Dell Children’s Foundation, members of the Ascension Seton Williamson Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Dell Children’s North Advisory Council to celebrate the first anniversary of Dell Children’s Medical Center North.

Celebrating one year of hope, healing, and the best comprehensive care available to patients and their families, attendees of this event heard from speakers including Michael Wiggins, President and CEO of Dell Children’s who congratulated the team on its accomplishment. “It is no small task to open a new hospital and Cathy Heckenlively, along with her team, led the charge for opening and growing this campus into what it is today.” 

With a focus on the continued cultivation of the vital partnerships needed to ensure that kids are kept healthy, happy, and focused on what they do best—just being kids—Wiggins turned his attention to the accomplishments made by the facility during its first year. 

A State of the Art Facility for State of the Art Care

Treating diagnoses ranging from respiratory illnesses and infectious diseases to orthopedic injuries and surgeries to specialties including gastroenterology, urology, ENT and Eye, Neurology, and more, Dell Children’s North Campus is where the youngest Central Texans are receiving the highest-quality patient-centered care close to home.

A year after its grand opening, the facility in North Austin that serves a majority of patients living in the Leander and Cedar Park areas, boasts an Emergency Department with 18 beds and two trauma bays, a second-floor surgical unit with three operating rooms, a third-floor with 36 universal beds—12 intensive care rooms and 24 acute care rooms—and a Ronald McDonald Family Room with a common room and two bedrooms.

In just one year, the hospital has performed more than 1,100 surgeries and served more than 15,500 patients in need of emergency care. And this is just the beginning.

Dell Children’s North will continue to develop its relationship with the surrounding school districts and the communities it serves. In addition, we will continue to elevate care through philanthropy including growing partnerships with the Round Rock Express, Typhoon Texas, Kalahari, and more.

Dell Children’s Medical Center North By The Numbers

Central Texas Moms Choose Dell Children’s North 

Among the many patients and families that attended the first-anniversary celebration, one family who has been with Dell Children’s North since its grand opening shared their story.

Maryam Fernandez attended the grand opening of Dell Children’s North and remembers thinking how great it would be to finally have a world-class facility so close to home if her sons Maximo and Leonardo should ever need it. Little did she know that at the beginning of 2023, she would. 

“I can tell you having this so close to home during an emergency was such a blessing,” said Fernandez. 

After her son Maximo was involved in a skiing accident that caused a kidney injury that would result in months of complications, various medical procedures, and several hospital stays, Maximo began a long journey toward a full recovery at Dell Children’s. 

“The year was one of the most emotional years of our lives, but the level of care we received at Dell Children’s Medical Center and Dell Children’s North literally brings tears to my eyes and will never be forgotten.” 

Help Starts and Stays Here

While it is hard to believe a year has passed since the doors of this hospital opened, it is not hard to believe the impact this campus and its team have had on the families in the North Austin and Williamson County region. 

The impact of having a team of talented doctors, nurses, and associates who live in Austin and are ready to offer their compassionate care and service to heal Central Texan children, helping them get back to doing what they do best—just being kids—is incalculable. Dell Children’s is the only comprehensive pediatric care provider in our region and will continue to develop services that our community needs. 

As Dell Children’s North continues to grow, the community will play a vital role in its success. Sustained philanthropy will be the foundation for the future of Dell Children’s North and its generous donors will ensure that the North Austin campus will be here to care for every child at the moment they need care most.