Medical centers billed as prescription for ailing malls

Management at the Red Bird Mall in Dallas are leasing to a new category of tenant — hospitals and clinics. The company announced yesterday that UT Southwestern and Parkland Hospital will make use of space once occupied by Sears (150,000 sq. ft.) and Dillard's (43,000 sq. ft.).  The strategy is being billed as a win-win — keeping malls alive while giving health care companies a way to cost-effectively reach underserved populations.