Saint Louis University, after selling one hospital, has acquired a new one. However, Compton Heights Hospital (formerly owned by Tenet, the new owner of Saint Louis University Hospital), will never again be the destination of the wailing ambulances that crisscrossed St. Louis City’s streets at all hours of the day and night.

In May of last year SLU bought the shuttered hospital from the Tenet Corporation. In step with a statement printed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in October of 2000, SLU has not reopened the facility as a hospital, but has renamed it the Salus Center and designated it as the new home of existing departments.

Fittingly, SLU’s School of Public Medicine will move into the former hospital at the end of July. Leaving its current home on Lindell Boulevard, the School of Public Medicine will soon find itself as the newest addition to the burgeoning Health Sciences community across the viaduct from Frost Campus.

The School of Public Medicine is not alone in relocating. SLU’s Human Resources department has already begun their move from Fitzgerald Hall this past weekend.

“Everything seems to be coming nicely,” said Michael Memos, director of Human Resources. “I’m amazed at how they could reconstruct [patient rooms] into offices.”

Although Human Resources is an integral part of the University structure, Memos is not concerned about the seemingly far-flung location. The department is working with Information and Technology Services to create a paperless system. By putting all the paperwork online, the Human Resource department could work from virtually anywhere, speeding things up for both the department and its customers.

Richard Kurz, Ph.D., dean of the School of Public Medicine, is looking forward to the amount of space that the Salus Center offers. He is also looking forward to being closer to his colleagues on the Health Sciences campus. He does regret, however, being so far away from some of the other schools on the Frost campus such as the Business, Law and Social Service.

“We have relationships with various schools on this [Frost] campus,” said Kurz. “The nature of what we do gives us close relations with a wide number of disciplines.”

Kurz is glad to have a facility that can accommodate the growing needs of the school. Salus Center will have larger offices, four classrooms, a computer lab for the students, a student lounge and a study area, all of which fit comfortably into the former hospital.

Kathy Hagedorn, vice president of Human Resources is also glad to see the move. The relocation opens up more space on the Frost campus and gives Human Resources a chance to expand and try out new ideas.

“Since classroom space is at a premium, it made sense to convert [Fitzgerald Hall] into class space,” said Hagedorn.

In addition to the new home of the departments, the center will contain a workout center and hotel.

“[The satellite gym] is a done deal,” said Hossein Dastgah, assistant director of the Simon Recreational Center.

The gym, which is about the size of the multipurpose room in Simon Rec, will provide weight and cardiovascular machines for use by students and faculty.

“It will be convenient for the students, and it will cut down traffic at Simon Rec, especially at rush hour and in the evening.”

The hotel at Salus Center will serve as a place for visiting parents, visiting teams and as a lodging for family and friends of patients at Saint Louis University hospital.