FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 12, 2016
OKLAHOMA CITY – Officials from the University Hospitals Authority and Trust and the University of Oklahoma will dedicate the OU College of Medicine Academic Office Tower in a public ceremony scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 800 Stanton L. Young Blvd. at the OU Health Sciences Center.
The nine-story building will be the new home to several departments and administrative offices of the OU College of Medicine.
“The dedication of this vitally needed new academic office building is another important milestone toward excellence for the OU Health Sciences Center,” said OU President David L. Boren.
The offices of the departments of Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery will move to the new building. The Dean’s Office staff also will relocate, as will the Admissions Office and the Office of Continuing Professional Development. The staff of Student Services also will have a presence in the building.
The first floor features three multi-purpose rooms, two of which can be expanded to create one larger conference setting. The rooms are equipped with full teleconferencing abilities. New skywalks connect the tower to the Williams Pavilion and to the skywalk between OU Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. The building also features a rooftop garden that extends from the fourth floor. An adjacent five-level parking garage will accommodate 550 vehicles.
The new academic office tower allows the University Hospitals Authority and Trust to further its commitment to excellence in medical care, education and research, said Dean Gandy, chief executive officer of the organization.
“This facility will further elevate the academic mission of the OU College of Medicine and enhance the quality education it provides to future physicians in our state,” Gandy said. “The building’s design is as beautiful as it is functional. The architects have done a wonderful job addressing the many varied needs of the college’s faculty and staff. It will be an iconic building providing the College of Medicine a special identity.”
Symbolism is found throughout the building design. The entry to the building features a stone portal with three separate entrances, to signify the college’s mission of patient care, medical education and research. A spherical design element in the three-story lobby exemplifies physicians and their medical disciplines. The sphere is white to represent the physician’s iconic white coat, and it is composed of many pieces as a reflection of the many adult and pediatric subspecialties practiced on campus. The sphere is designed to revolve, which embodies the dynamic continuum of care given to patients.
For additional information or for accommodations, call the Office of Public Affairs at (405) 325-3784.
