The Texas Medical Center, with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research of any location, is the largest medical district in the world.
The center contains 45 medicine-related institutions, including 13 hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and other health-related practices. All 45 institutions are not-for-profit. The center is where one of the first and largest air ambulance services was created and where a successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed. According to the Texas Medical Center, more heart surgeries are performed here than anywhere else in the world.
The Texas Medical Center receives over five million annual patient visits, including over ten thousand international patients. In 2006, the center employed over 75,000 people, including 4,000 physicians and 11,000 registered nurses.

In addition to free-standing homes, there are many townhome and condo options available in the Medical Center area. Adjacent to the center are Rice University, Hermann Park, Reliant Park and the Museum District. Some of the neighborhoods very close to the Houston Medical Center include Braeswood, Collegeview, Fairhaven, Southgate, Southampton, Southside Place and West University.