Downtown Fort Worth is a hub for health care and medical research. The city's south side medical district employs more than 30,000 people through a healthy mix of medical clinics, major medical centers and the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

JPS Health Network
With more than 40 locations throughout Tarrant County, JPS Health Network has the county's only Level I trauma center, John Peter Smith Hospital. The department receives approximately 95,000 visits each year.

"Any level of emergency care patients might need is at this facility," says Robert Earley, president and chief executive officer of JPS Health Network.

As both a teaching and a public hospital, JPS boasts a vibrant residency program. The system also has implemented electronic medical records, ensuring that patients receive consistent, quality care, regardless of which JPS site they visit.

Cook Children's Medical Center
Advancements are made daily at Cook Children's Medical Center, where a $250 million expansion is under way. Additions include a 106-bed, all single room neonatal intensive care unit set to open in 2011 and the $20 million Cook Children's Cancer Center expected in 2012.

"The expansion will meet the needs of our families, physicians, nurses and staff, and allow us to care for more children in the community," says Rick Merrill, president and CEO of not-for-profit Cook Children's Health Care System.

The hospital's signature Pediatric Neurosciences program includes biofeedback, pediatric deep brain simulation, and a comprehensive epilepsy program and specialized unit. Cook Children's also boasts one of the largest pediatric transport programs in the nation.

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth
A short bridge over downtown's Sixth Street connects the hospital to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, a regional referral center owned by nonprofit Texas Health Resources System. The hospital has received Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center – a sign of nursing excellence given to less than 6 percent of hospitals nationwide. The hospital also is recognized for its cardiac services, and was among the first to offer patients "cold" technology to treat atrial fibrillation. Arctic Front® Cryoablation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a balloon catheter system to deliver a freezing coolant instead of heat, significantly reducing the risk of damage around the heart.

"Our heart center has redefined the landscape of Texas Health Fort Worth and cardiovascular care in Tarrant County," says Senior Vice President Lillie Biggins, RN, MSN, FACHE.

University of North Texas Health Science Center
Cutting-edge technology is no stranger in the district, where the University of North Texas Health Science Center operates The Department of Forensic and Investigative Genetics. The program is the academic component of the school's Center for Human Identification, which provides genetic analysis and database services for a variety of governmental entities from the United States and foreign countries. In 2014, the UNT Health Science Center will add an MD program, an independent fifth school that will join the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health and School of Health Professions.

"Fort Worth's medical district truly maintains a sense of community," says Earley, who works closely with physicians, administrators and researchers from nearby facilities. "There's a huge advantage to being located so close to each other, and it also means we have to be good at what we do, because patients can easily go to another system."

Fort Worth Hospitals:

Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth

Baylor Medical Center at Southwest Fort Worth
Cook Children's Medical Center
GlobalRehab
HCA North Texas/Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth
Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital of. Fort Worth
Huguley Memorial Medical Center
John Peter Smith Hospital
Kindred Hospital Fort Worth Southwest
LifeCare Hospitals of Fort Worth
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth
USMD Hospital at Fort Worth