SSM to break ground on $550M hospital

Ground will be broken on the new Saint Louis University Hospital and ambulatory care center on Aug. 31, a project which is expected to cost $550 million.

Plans for the 800,000-square-foot SSM Health facility would include a nine-story patient tower, a three-story ambulatory center and 316 private rooms. It’s been in the works since SSM acquired the current SLU Hospital from Tenet in 2015 and pledged to build a replacement.

To improve the design, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports 30 to 40 percent of hospital staff visited a nearby design studio which featured life-size mockups of new hospital rooms, including operating rooms and areas in the intensive care unit. Workers were able to offer input on the design of each room, down to seemingly minor details like which way patient doors would swing.

“Seeing something on paper doesn’t seem as real,” said hospital president Kate Becker.

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John Gregory, Senior Writer

John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.

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