Cook Children’s Prosper pursues NICU, trauma center designations to serve growing population

The hospital is currently in pursuit of a Level III designation for both its NICU and its trauma center, Greene said.

A Level III designation, which is the third-highest level for a trauma center and the second-highest level for a NICU, will allow patients who need intensive care to receive treatment in Prosper instead of traveling to a hospital further away.

“In those trauma situations, every moment, every second matters,” Greene said.

The background

Cook Children’s Health Care System opened Cook Children’s Prosper after noticing an influx of families along major corridors like I-35 and SH 121, Greene said.

Cook Children's started by adding primary care clinics in the area before breaking ground on its Prosper campus in 2018.

The expansion has allowed families to access specialty care without driving out to Cook Children's main facility in Fort Worth, Greene said.

“We wanted to ensure that those families were able to maintain that great care and access close to home,” he said.

Looking ahead

As North Texas's population grows, Cook Children's Prosper is prepared to grow alongside it.

When the NICU needs more space, it has 10 empty rooms that can be converted into additional beds.

“All we have to do is buy the equipment, so that’s just a few months’ turnaround,” Greene said.

Eventually, the campus includes enough land to add a second tower to the medical center, and the health system owns adjacent property it plans to use for outpatient services.

“We’re constantly watching these communities as they grow,” Greene said. “It goes back to making sure that they have access close to home.”

Timeline of Cook Children's Medical Center Prosper:

• October 2019: primary and urgent care
• May 2020: outpatient surgery center
• January 2023: inpatient medical center
• September 2025: NICU