KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Everything old becomes new again.
A hospital that once served North Knoxville now sits demolished into a construction site. But in the old Physicians Regional (née Saint Mary's) hospital tower, there's a rebirth of the original intent of the hospital-founding Sisters of Mercy.
"Their whole mission was to go out into the community and serve the underserved and that you know we can make that live on," said site supervisor and LMU nursing professor Joan Eiffe.
The mission, she said, will continue through classrooms and labs of the newly-renovated LMU nursing school.
It's been here in some way since the late 80s, but is back now with high tech help—which will soon include automated mannequin patients and virtual reality scenarios.
"It's a very safe environment for the students to see these kinds of situations they're going to be faced with in the real world," LMU dean of nursing Dr. Tammy Dean said.
Students started class in the building for the first time Monday.
"It's a calling for them," Dean said. "You can talk to nurses everywhere and it's not just a job."
The nuns who founded St. Mary's hospital didn't think of it as a job either. The founded it to help people. And now it is a place of learning for the next generation of helpers.
"Just knowing that the sister's presence is still here and we can live that out is pretty amazing," Eiffe said.
The city of Knoxville continues construction on the rest of the site. It currently projects city offices, including a new police department building, to open in 2022.