Transfers from Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas: A Family Guide

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas — usually called "Presby Dallas" or simply "THPD" — is the flagship of the Texas Health Resources system and one of the largest hospitals in North Dallas. Because it sits on Walnut Hill Lane just a few minutes from our care center on Greenville Avenue, it is the hospital where we most often coordinate transfers. If you are reading this a few hours after a loss, this page is meant to walk you through what happens next, at that specific campus, in plain language.

About Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, part of Texas Health Resources
8200 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, TX 75231
Main hospital line: (214) 345-6789
Chapel: first floor of the main hospital; chaplain requested through the nurse or by calling the main line

Presby Dallas is a 900-bed acute-care hospital located at the intersection of Walnut Hill Lane and Central Expressway (US-75). The campus includes the main hospital tower, the T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital, the Margot Perot Center for women and infants, and a maternity building — all interconnected. Patient parking and the main visitor entrance are on Walnut Hill; the emergency entrance is off Greenville Avenue.

Presby Dallas is a Level III Trauma Center, a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and one of the country's major transplant hospitals. Many deaths there occur after long stays in the ICU, the neuro-critical unit, or the oncology floors — meaning the family and the care team often have had time to prepare together for what comes next.

From our office at 12101 Greenville Avenue, Presby Dallas is roughly 5 to 7 minutes by car — south on Greenville, then a quick west turn onto Walnut Hill. Traffic on US-75 rarely affects this route. In practical terms, this makes Presby Dallas the fastest transfer we perform: our team is often on the receiving dock inside 45 minutes of the family's first call.

What happens inside the hospital after a death

Every death is different, but at Presby Dallas the sequence is generally:

1. The attending physician or unit charge nurse confirms and documents the time of death, then explains what happens next to whichever family members are present.
2. The family is invited to stay in the room. Presby's nursing culture is patient — nurses will typically ask what the family needs (privacy, more time, a chaplain, a moment to make phone calls) rather than moving quickly.
3. A Texas Health chaplain can be requested at any time through the nurse. Texas Health's own guidance is that the family may "ask the nurse or call 214-345-6789." Chaplains work with families of all faiths.
4. The unit clerk begins a decedent packet and asks the family to name a funeral home. If no choice has been made, this is when we recommend calling. Presby Dallas will not choose a funeral home for the family.
5. When the family is ready, the deceased is moved by Texas Health transport staff to the hospital's on-site decedent-care area. The family does not follow this step — they can wait in the room, the chapel, or a family lounge.
6. If the deceased was a registered organ or tissue donor, the transplant coordinator (Southwest Transplant Alliance for Texas Health) will speak with the family in a separate conversation. This is optional and independent from the funeral home decision.

Presby Dallas holds the body internally until the funeral home arrives. Release is only to a licensed Texas funeral establishment.

Calling Vargas-London from Presby Dallas

You can call us at (214) 550-7369 at any time of day or night. Because Presby Dallas is our closest major hospital, we can often confirm a transfer window within a few minutes and be on our way. That said, there is no rush — the hospital will care for your loved one as long as needed, whether you call at 2 a.m. or wait until family arrives the next morning.

On the call, our staff will ask:

• The deceased's full legal name and date of birth
• The unit at Presby Dallas (for example, "Cardiac ICU on Presby's 6th floor" or "Pickens Cancer Hospital, floor 5")
• Your name, relationship to the deceased, and a callback number
• Any initial preference between cremation and burial — no commitment attached; this only shapes what we prepare

We then contact Presby Dallas's decedent-care staff to confirm the release paperwork.

Documentation the family will need

Presby Dallas releases only to the licensed funeral home, so the family will not sign paperwork at the decedent-care area. What is specific to Presby: the decedent packet the unit gives the next of kin is the one document worth keeping close, and because the campus sits at Walnut Hill and US-75, our team’s short run down Central means the transfer rarely waits on us. Everything else — death-certificate fields, photo ID for the authorizing agent, DD-214 for veterans — is gathered at the arrangement conference; the complete list is in our hospital documents checklist, identical at every Dallas-area hospital we serve.

The transfer itself

Once we have your call and Presby Dallas has begun the decedent packet, one of our transfer specialists drives directly to the hospital. Because we are only a few minutes away, the transfer specialist typically arrives before the packet is fully complete — we wait, quietly, until the unit is ready.

• Typical arrival: 30 to 60 minutes after the call.
• The transfer specialist signs Presby's internal release form and takes custody of any personal effects the unit staff have gathered — glasses, wedding rings, dentures, and the like.
• Your loved one is transported to our care center off Greenville Avenue — a drive of a few minutes.
• We call the family within an hour or two to confirm the transfer is complete and to schedule the arrangement conference.

Because Presby Dallas is so close, families sometimes ask if they can meet us at the care center right after the transfer. That is entirely up to the family. Most rest first; some come by later that afternoon.

If no family was at the hospital when the death occurred

If a Presby nurse or house supervisor calls you at home in the middle of the night:

1. Write down the caller's name, direct extension, and the unit or floor.
2. Ask whether any funeral home has been named — Presby will not have made this choice on your behalf.
3. Call Vargas-London at (214) 550-7369 when you feel ready. We will contact Presby on your behalf.
4. You do not need to drive to the hospital. If you want to spend time with your loved one before the transfer, we can help coordinate that with Presby's staff, but it is optional.

After the transfer: the arrangement conference

Within 24 to 72 hours of the transfer, Vargas-London holds the arrangement conference. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 453, we are required to give the family a written General Price List before any decision is asked of you and to itemize each item you do or do not select. The conference typically covers:

• Direct cremation ($1,750), memorial cremation ($4,995), or traditional funeral (from $6,350)
• Casket, urn, or keepsake selection (no obligation)
• Religious or cultural elements — Presby serves many Presbyterian, Methodist, Jewish, and Muslim families in North Dallas, and we regularly coordinate with congregations across Preston Hollow and Lake Highlands
• Cemetery selection, if burial is chosen — Restland is a five-minute drive from Presby; Sparkman-Hillcrest is directly adjacent; Grove Hill, Calvary Hill, and DFW National Cemetery are also frequent choices
• Filing the Texas death certificate and, if applicable, VA Form 21P-530 for veteran benefits
• Obituary drafting and publication

Because we are minutes from Presby Dallas, many families do come to our office in person for the arrangement conference. The conference can also happen entirely by phone, video, or secure online form.