Joplin hospital to be turned into university campus

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) - A former hospital built for temporary use after a 2011 tornado in Joplin is being transformed into a new campus for the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

The original building was donated to the school for use as a medical school by Mercy Hospital, The Joplin Globe (http://bit.ly/2amxBm6 ) reported. It consisted of a series of pre-manufactured pods that were shipped to Joplin and assembled on site.

Tim Saxe, director of capital projects for the university, said the structure was good for fast construction, but that the pods aren't suitable for the university's long-term needs.

"It's very important that we provide them (students) with a restorative environment, that they don't feel like they're in an old hospital," Saxe said.

Crews are now pulling the pods apart and building a new structure from the ground up. Saxe said some temporary walls have been built to accommodate that work. The old hospital's entrance, which included a canopy and a circle drive, has been removed to make space for the schools main entrance, which will feature a glass facade and raised ceiling.

Officials said that a cafeteria, lobby, bookstore, green space and open social areas will also be among the key features of the school once it's completed. New construction also includes a 200-seat lecture hall built to Federal Emergency Management Agency standards in case of high winds.

"This is going to be our home for 30 to 50 years, so we want to dress it up and make it a place we're proud of," Saxe said.

Kansas City University Joplin dean Paula Gregory said the building will have an anatomy lab, and one lane of the former ambulance bay will be kept intact so students will be able to learn how to handle mass trauma.

The building is expected to be ready by April 2017.

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Information from: The Joplin (Mo.) Globe, http://www.joplinglobe.com