FORT WORTH, Texas — A new patient tower at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth, announced earlier this summer, will be named Cramer Tower thanks to a transformational gift from Karen Cramer.

The gift represents a profound full-circle moment in the hospital's history. In the 1980s, Karen's father, Jud Cramer, along with the health system's CEO at the time, drove off in an Oldsmobile Toronado to scout locations for what would become Texas Health Southwest. Surrounded by nothing but prairie land, these visionaries understood that Fort Worth's growth would shift to the southwest. Today, their foresight has been proven remarkably correct.

"My father helped start this hospital, and now I want to see it continue to care for future generations," said Karen Cramer. "I have worked very hard, and I've been blessed to be able to give back to the community that has given me so much. My legacy won't be in the buildings—it will be in the devotion I feel for Texas Health and the entire Fort Worth community."

Karen has established herself as a healthcare leader in her own right, serving for years as a volunteer and trustee on the Texas Health Resources Foundation Board. While her late parents' philanthropic legacy included establishing the Cramer Café at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, Karen independently supported the Karen Cramer Chapel in the Justin Tower at Texas Health Fort Worth and now makes this landmark decision to name the new Cramer Tower at Texas Health Southwest.

Karen Cramer

"I have been able to see firsthand Karen's giving spirit and her genuine desire to improve the health of this community," said Laura McWhorter, president of Texas Health Resources Foundation. "Karen's father, Jud, was instrumental in the founding of Texas Health Southwest. Now, Karen's gift will not only change the lives of people in our community today, but also for generations to come. This is what visionary philanthropy looks like—building on a foundation of service to meet our community's health needs far into the future."

The five-story Cramer Tower will add 64 patient beds when the first two floors open in 2028, with shell space designed to accommodate future growth and vertical expansion. The tower is part of an estimated $223 million investment that also includes modernization of six original operating rooms to enhance surgical services. Southwest Fort Worth is projected to add roughly 90,000 people by 2045, according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments, underscoring the critical need for expanded healthcare capacity.

"This latest expansion reflects Texas Health Southwest's continued dedication to providing exceptional care and becoming an even stronger ally in the health and well-being of our community," said Ajith Pai, PharmD, FACHE, president of Texas Health Southwest.

Construction on the Cramer Tower is slated to begin in 2026.