Seton to announce contractor, name of teaching hospital

University of Texas leaders announced that Dr. S. Claiborne "Clay" Johnston will be the first dean of the Dell Medical School.

At a news conference Jan. 21, Johnston said he is not interested in creating an ordinary medical school, but rather one that will position Austin to be at the leading edge of health care.

"I'm committed to going back to the community and making sure that we are making progress on the mission [the community] has created for us," he said.

Johnston is the associate vice chancellor of research at the University of California, San Francisco. He is a neurologist who has researched strokes.

UT has also begun site work for the new campus. Builders are adding a temporary parking lot near Hargus Hall. The university plans to straighten Red River Street as part of developing the new medical campus.

Partial street closures are expected from March through December, according to UT.

University leaders will meet with the board of regents in February to get approval for the medical district utility system for the new campus, UT spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon said. Workers may begin placing utilities underground in March.

UT expects workers to begin building the parking garage, medical office building and research building in late April and the main academic building in late June.

In the next two months, Seton Healthcare plans to announce the official name of the new teaching hospital to replace University Medical Center Brackenridge, Seton spokesman Steven Taylor said.

Seton also plans to announce the contractor for the estimated $295 million construction project in the next two months.