Moody Outpatient Center at Parkland Hospital

The Challenge

Parkland Health has served as a primary treatment center for Dallas County for more than 120 years. When the renowned public academic health system replaced its massive acute care hospital, multiple clinics remained in outdated facilities spread across the city of Dallas. Elegantly consolidating two dozen multispecialty clinics in a central building on Parkland’s new campus, HKS designed the Moody Outpatient Center at Parkland Hospital.

Time and budget were critical factors in the project’s development, as significant funding — including taxpayer dollars and over $40 million in fundraising — was tied to the clinics’ relocation. HKS and our collaborators realized the project in just 34 months from early programming to the first patient’s visit.

The Design Solution

Moody Outpatient Center can serve a daily population of 800 patients who have illnesses such as breast cancer, HIV, diabetes as well as orthopedic and severe injuries. Through a collaborative design and delivery approach that included contractors, staff, and user groups, HKS provided almost 60 more exam rooms than prior facilities with a fraction of added square feet.

Maximizing flexibility, the team developed a clinic module that functions for each of the specialty clinics and accommodates flow to adjacent ones. The programming and planning allow for easy day-to-day conversions as well as potential future changes in health care system operations and management. The building layout also prioritizes accessibility and circulation. High-volume functions such as intake and visitor areas are located on the ground level, while clinics spread across six floors — including Parkland’s signature clinic, the Moody Center for Breast Health — are easy to find and navigate. With inviting reception and waiting areas, a retail pharmacy, coffee bar and a rehabilitation garden, the Center is a premier destination for patient, family and staff well-being.

The building’s high-performance glass exterior offers transparency from the outside and provides natural light inside. By selecting prefabricated façade panels, the team dramatically accelerated the construction timeline and provided cost-effective, sustainable design excellence.

The Design Impact

Moody Outpatient Center contributes to better economic and health equity in Dallas County. Through the design and construction process, Minority and Women Business Enterprises captured 45 percent of the architecture and engineering teams’ contract value and Dallas County locals captured 93 percent. The Center’s forward-thinking design and planning yielded a 20 percent increase in efficiency in square feet for patients and staff. Featuring systems and materials that reduce embodied carbon and water use, limit ecological impact and provide the highest standard of indoor air quality, the Center is targeting LEED Silver Certification. With comfortable treatment rooms, public areas and staff facilities, the building will allow health care professionals and patients to provide and receive care in a holistic setting for many years.