UST Offers Dorm Rooms to Hospitals for Medical Personnel
What to do with those empty dorm rooms? If you are University of St. Thomas, you offer them to hospitals to house their front line heroes – medical personnel and staff.
UST Offers Dorm Rooms to Three Hospitals
With empty dorm rooms left by our residential students who had to vacate in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it only made sense for the University to offer safe lodging to hospitals’ medical personnel and staff who need a place to stay in order to keep their families safe and healthy.
“We’ve heard stories of health care professionals paying personally for hotel rooms in order to keep their families safe,” Spencer Conroy, Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs, said. “It is our hope that partnering in this manner would alleviate some of the stress weighing on them during this trying time.”
With its very close proximity to the Texas Medical Center, Conroy reached out to three hospital systems who had executive staff members on its Board of Directors or who were identified through other connections.
Baylor College of Medicine Accepts UST’s Offer
“The offer was almost immediately accepted by Baylor College of Medicine,” Conroy said. “We are in the process of contracting with them for 30 rooms for two months.”
Though final details are being discussed, Baylor is ready to offer this lodging to personnel very soon.
“It is a great resource to have space available so close to the Texas Medical Center for our employees who may need these rooms in the event of a surge of the pandemic,” said Robert Corrigan, General Counsel for Baylor College of Medicine. “We appreciate the University of St. Thomas stepping forward with this offer.”
It is our Duty to be of Service
The University is still in discussion with the other hospitals, offering 30 rooms to each hospital for now, which can expand should employee demand warrant. The University has 150 rooms and if these three hospitals accept, that would occupy 90 rooms as a start.
“As a member institution of the Texas Medical Center and a good neighbor, it is our duty to be of service to these hospitals, and we would be honored if we can help in any way, however small it might be,” Conroy said.
How Do You Find Out More?
To find out more or to inquire about space, email RoomsforHeroes@stthom.edu.
The University of St. Thomas is Houston’s Catholic University. For more than 70 years, UST has graduated students into successful careers in medicine, education, business, public administration and more. As Houston grows, UST will continue to provide the strong leaders and skilled workers needed to meet those demands.
