One of the newest additions to the Washington University Medical Center campus, Shriners Hospitals for Children-St. Louis, officially opened Monday, June 1.
The hospital, at 4400 Clayton Avenue, replaced the organization’s 50-year-old hospital in Frontenac. Its focus is care for children with orthopedic and neuromusculoskeletal conditions.
The move to the Central West End is expected to enhance clinical care and research collaborations with Washington University School of Medicine, with which Shriners has had a strong partnership since the 1920s. Most of the hospital’s medical staff — including its chief of staff, Perry L. Schoenecker, MD – are Washington University physicians.
“The two institutions share a longstanding, professional, collegial relationship dating back to the establishment of the very first Shriners hospital here in 1924,” said Dr. Schoenecker, Washington University pediatric orthopedic surgeon at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “The return of Shriners to the Washington University Medical Campus optimizes interactions between Shriners, the School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The relationship among all three is very positive, and the proximity will make it even better.”
The 90,000-square-foot, three-story hospital has 12 inpatient beds, three surgical suites and 18 examination rooms. The hospital also has the Center for Metabolic Bone Disease and Molecular Research, which is directed by Michael P. Whyte, MD, Washington University professor of medicine, of pediatrics and of genetics.
This is the third Shriners hospital in St. Louis’ history. The original site, which remains in use by Washington University, is at the corner of Euclid and Clayton avenues. The university is working to get that building on the National Register of Historic Places based on its importance in health and medicine.
In all, there are 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children (20 in the United States and one each in Canada and Mexico). The hospitals provide orthopedic, burn, cleft lip and palate, and spinal cord injury care. The organization’s St. Louis hospital specializes in orthopaedic care.
Photo caption: Shriners Hospitals for Children-St. Louis opened its new site on the Washington University Medical Center campus on June 1.
