In an effort to focus on improving the safety of SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital patients, their families, visitors, physicians, caregivers and staff, plans for the building of a new grand west entrance have been announced. It will be named the Love Family Entrance in recognition of a significant lead gift from the Tom and Judy Love Foundation.

Each year, the west hospital entrance welcomes more than 21,000 inpatients, sees more than 260,000 outpatient visits, and serves as entry for thousands more visitors and employees.

For more than 50 years, the current main hospital entrance on Lee Avenue has been a challenge for patients and visitors, especially the elderly and disabled. Walking between the west side parking garage and the hospital, pedestrians must cross a busy street, brave weather of all types, climb stairs and cross an often-congested patient drop-off lane to enter the hospital. The new plans mean that a longtime dream of improving safety and easing entry and access to the hospital is going to become reality.

Lee Avenue will be closed to cross traffic and a new 9,886 sf grand entrance and lobby will be built, spanning Lee Avenue and connecting the ground floor of the parking garage to the hospital’s main floor and current entrance lobby.

The lobby itself will be renovated and expanded from 3,248 sf to more than 13,000 sf with a more welcoming “hotel style” design. New, energy-efficient entrance doors will be added. An additional glassed-in elevator and new stair tower will be built on the east side of the parking garage, providing patients and visitors fast and easy access to the new lobby.

The parking garage interior and exterior will be upgraded, the current vehicle entrances will be moved, and a new patient drop-off will be created directly in front of the new entrance and lobby.

In an era of increasing occurrences of violence at health care and other facilities, the new entrance will incorporate safety measures including weapon detection systems and additional security personnel.

The project is estimated to cost $22 Million and currently has $13 Million committed. The Foundation is seeking philanthropic gifts to complete the funding for the project. A challenge gift from Miller Architects will match all gifts up to $100,000 for the new entrance.