Milestone honors five decades of growth, innovation and generations of trusted care
ARLINGTON – Medical City Arlington is celebrating 50 years of caring for patients from its South Arlington campus, marking a milestone in a history of service to the Greater Arlington community.
On Sept. 6, 1976, Arlington Community Hospital opened its 131-bed campus at the intersection of Mayfield and Matlocks Roads to serve a rapidly growing community. The hospital’s history in Arlington began even earlier with Physicians Hospital, which opened on Randol Mill Road in 1964 and was acquired by HCA Healthcare in 1969. Today, Medical City Arlington is a 493-bed, full-service hospital providing advanced care to patients across North Texas.
“For 50 years on this campus, Medical City Arlington has grown alongside the community we serve,” says Sharn Barbarin, CEO of Medical City Arlington. “Although the hospital looks very different than it did in 1976, what has not changed is our mission to be here for patients and families when they need us most. Every generation of physicians, nurses and colleagues has built on the foundation established by those who came before them, expanding services and capabilities so patients can receive advanced care close to home.”
Medical City Arlington commemorated the milestone Sept. 1 with physicians, colleagues, hospital leaders, patients and community partners who gathered to recognize the generations of people who helped shape the hospital. The anniversary comes during another historic year for the community as the City of Arlington celebrates its 150th anniversary.
“As Arlington has grown, Medical City Arlington has been right alongside us,” says Jim Ross, mayor of Arlington. “It has grown from a small neighborhood hospital into one of the most important parts of our city. Medical City Arlington has also been more than a healthcare provider. It has been a true neighbor and partner in this community, and that kind of partnership makes Arlington stronger.”
Girls Inc. of Tarrant County, an organization Medical City Arlington has proudly supported over the years, is also celebrating its 50th anniversary after beginning in Arlington in 1976. In recognition of the shared milestone, Medical City Arlington presented the organization with a $25,000 gift from the HCA Healthcare Foundation to support career readiness and opportunities for girls to explore STEM education and careers.
Medical City Arlington’s 50th anniversary theme, Keeping the Promise, reflects a history shaped by generations of physicians, nurses, colleagues and community members and by continued investment in services and technology. That investment includes cardiovascular care, neurosciences, trauma and emergency services, orthopedics, women’s and neonatal care, rehabilitation, robotic-assisted surgery and graduate medical education.
Five decades of growth and innovation
Over the past 50 years, Medical City Arlington has expanded services and introduced new capabilities to meet the evolving needs of Arlington and surrounding communities. Key milestones include:
- 1976: Arlington Community Hospital opens new 131-bed South Arlington campus on Sept. 6.
- 1985: The hospital welcomes its first babies, establishing the foundation for expanded women’s services.
- 1990-1991: A cardiac unit and cardiac catheterization laboratory open, followed by the hospital’s first open-heart surgery.
- 2003: A dedicated Women’s Center opens, expanding maternity and women’s health services.
- 2013: The ER at Grand Prairie opens, extending emergency care beyond the Arlington campus.
- 2016: Medical Center Arlington becomes Medical City Arlington as part of the unified Medical City Healthcare system of care.
- 2019: The hospital celebrates Level II Trauma Center designation and opens Medical City Women’s Hospital Arlington and Medical City ER Red Oak.
- 2022: Medical City Arlington earns Comprehensive Stroke Center certification and is named one of Healthgrades’ America’s 250 Best Hospitals.
- 2025: The $144 million expansion opens for patients with four specialty operating rooms, expanded clinical capacity and a new main entrance and lobby. The hospital also partners with Arlington Fire Department and AMR Arlington to launch a prehospital Whole Blood Program.
- 2026: Healthgrades names Medical City Arlington one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals, placing the hospital among the top 2% nationally for overall clinical performance.
Medical City Arlington’s impact extends beyond hospital walls through community partnerships, charitable care, health education and economic investment. In 2025, the hospital provided $43.4 million in charity and unreimbursed care, contributed $8.9 million in local property and sales taxes and generated an estimated $611 million in economic impact.
“Fifty years from now, I hope people look back and see that Medical City Arlington kept investing, kept innovating and kept putting patients first,” Barbarin says. “Medicine will continue to change. Technology will continue to advance. Our community will continue to grow. Our responsibility is to continue growing with it while remaining committed to the care and improvement of human life.”
Photo legend
Anniversary program – City of Arlington speech – left to right
- Sharn Barbarin, CEO, Medical City Arlington
- Jim Ross, mayor of Arlington
Anniversary program – Medical City Arlington speech
- Sharn Barbarin, CEO, Medical City Arlington
Check presentation photo – left to right
- Jennifer Limas, president and CEO, Girls Inc. of Tarrant County
- Sharn Barbarin, CEO, Medical City Arlington
ABOUT MEDICAL CITY ARLINGTON
Medical City Arlington is a 493-bed acute care hospital serving Arlington, Mansfield, Grand Prairie and surrounding communities. A Level II Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center with nearly 120,000 patient encounters per year. Medical City Arlington was also the first certified Chest Pain Center in Tarrant County. The hospital is a top performer in heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care, as designated by The Joint Commission. As the Official Hospital of the Texas Rangers, Medical City Arlington provides high-quality orthopedic services and is known for cancer, neurosurgery, spine, heart & vascular and gastrointestinal care. Nearly 3,200 babies are delivered annually at its dedicated women’s hospital, Medical City Women’s Hospital Arlington, which includes a Level III neonatal ICU (NICU).
