Lahey Clinic
Encyclopedia
The Lahey Clinic is a physician-led nonprofit teaching hospital
of Tufts University School of Medicine
based in Burlington, Massachusetts
. It was founded in 1923 by surgeon
Frank H. Lahey, M.D.
Lincoln Fleetford Sise, M.D., his plan was to create a clinic where many specialties would coexist under one roof. This idea became the Lahey Clinic and it was built at 605 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston
, where it would remain for another fifty-five years. (Its former building now houses the BU School of Education.)
Lahey's original team—gastroenterologist Sara Jordan, anesthesiologist Lincoln Sise, operating nurse Blanche Wallace, surgical assistant Howard Clute—were pioneers in their fields.
Physicians saw only outpatients at Lahey Clinic in the early years. In fact, much of the day was spent traveling between the New England Baptist Hospital
, New England Deaconess, and Peter Bent Brigham hospitals to perform surgeries and visit inpatients.
Medical centers were not common in the United States in the 1920s. If there were problems that the family doctor could not handle, the patient would be referred to a specialist or transported to a hospital. Lahey's team was often called out to outlying Greater Boston
towns for emergencies—to towns and cities in New Hampshire
, Vermont
and Maine
.
By the 1930s and 1940s, the clinic was known worldwide for its phenomenal surgical outcomes, and state-of-the-art treatment of thyroid, gastrointestinal, and gall bladder disorders. In 1940, an article was written in Time Magazine describing the clinic's history and Dr. Lahey's election as the new president of the American Medical Association
.
The reputation that Lahey Clinic has for innovative technology, pioneer medical treatment, and cutting-edge research was built upon Dr. Lahey's belief that the group practice also should be a center for research and learning. From the beginning, the clinic offered residents and fellows a chance to polish their skills under the careful supervision of some of the nation's leading physicians.
By the time the clinic moved eleven miles (18 km) northwest to its current location in Burlington in November 1980, the practice had expanded to include services offered by more than thirty departments. Many of these departments had begun with single physicians who worked to promote their specialty. The Gastroenterology
and Anesthesiology Departments, in particular, arose from the practices of Jordan and Sise, who in the 1920s were among the first physicians in the United States to specialize in these growing fields.
Lahey Clinic Medical Center is a teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine
. In addition, many of its physicians hold teaching assignments at Harvard Medical School
and Boston University School of Medicine
. The clinic maintains residency and fellowship programs for more than 130 new physicians in multiple subspecialties.
As a research center, Lahey Clinic offers patients access to clinical trials of new therapies for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and cataracts. Research programs at Lahey Clinic encompass more than 200 clinical trial protocols and participation in numerous national and international studies.
The Landsman Heart & Vascular Center is one of the largest in the region and is recognized as a Solucient 100 Top Hospital. Through partnerships with local hospitals, Lahey physicians provide advanced cardiology services such as angioplasty and electrophysiology.
The Cerebrovascular Disease Center is among the most advanced in the region for the treatment of strokes and brain aneurysms. The Liver Transplantation Team was the first in New England to perform adult live-donor transplant procedures. In addition, surgeons are using minimally invasive laparoscopic methods, reducing the surgical recovery time for conditions such as kidney disease and bladder cancer. Robotic surgical techniques also are emerging in urology and gynecological surgery. For the past six years, Lahey Clinic was cited in U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Hospitals issue for excellence in treating urological diseases.
Through the Sophia Gordon Cancer Center at Lahey Clinic, a complete range of medical and surgical specialty departments are involved in the care of cancer patients. They sponsor regular tumor conferences to exchange information and, together as a team, manage patients with the most complex diagnoses.
Lahey Clinic Medical Center, North Shore, in Peabody (known as Lahey North), serves nearly 800 outpatients each day. Lahey North is a full-service medical center featuring a 24-hour Emergency Department, an Ambulatory Surgery Center, and more than 20 medical and surgical specialties. Patients have access to a 10-bed inpatient care unit and various ancillary services, including on-site diagnostic radiology and MRI. With the recent completion of a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) facility and clinical services expansion, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, North Shore, offers even more services in a larger, patient and family-friendly environment.
Lahey Medical Center in Lexington, is a comprehensive health center providing outpatient services in the suburbs west of Boston. In addition to adult primary care, the Lexington facility offers consultation services in a range of medical and surgical specialties, including dermatology, gastroenterology, gynecology, neurology, orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology, physical therapy and rheumatology. Diagnostic resources available in Lexington include laboratory services, X-ray, bone density testing, digital mammography, and an open MRI. The Center for Cosmetic and Laser Surgery and the MS Center are also based at the Lexington facility.
Lahey Clinic also has twelve community group practices. Lahey's community group practices are staffed by physicians and allied health professionals in locations spanning from Merrimack Valley to the North Shore, and throughout the northwest suburbs of Boston. Physicians in these practices are board certified in internal medicine, pediatrics or family practice and work with local medical resources as appropriate, with access to Lahey Clinic specialists when needed.
Lahey Clinic has also recently established a number of satellite specialty care locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to further expand its ability to provide subspecialty care in the fields of cancer, urology and the neurosciences to local area residents.
named Lahey Clinic in its "America's Best Hospitals" issue for the ninth year in a row. Lahey was listed among the best in the country for excellence in urologic diseases.
Lahey received the American Stroke Association's Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Initial Performance Achievement Award. Lahey is one of 68 centers classified as Primary Stroke Services by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Lahey Clinic has accreditation from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to perform live-donor liver transplants. Lahey's liver tranplant team has performed more than 128 live-donor liver transplant surgeries since the program's inception.
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
of Tufts University School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
The Tufts University School of Medicine is one of the eight schools that constitute Tufts University. Located on the university's health sciences campus in the Chinatown district of Boston, Massachusetts, the medical school has clinical affiliations with thousands of doctors and researchers in the...
based in Burlington, Massachusetts
Burlington, Massachusetts
Burlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,498 at the 2010 census.- History :It is believed that Burlington takes its name from the English town of Bridlington, however this has never been confirmed....
. It was founded in 1923 by surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
Frank H. Lahey, M.D.
History
When Frank Howard Lahey founded a group practice in 1923 with renowned gastroenterologist Sara Jordan, M.D., and anesthesiologistAnesthesiologist
An anesthesiologist or anaesthetist is a physician trained in anesthesia and peri-operative medicine....
Lincoln Fleetford Sise, M.D., his plan was to create a clinic where many specialties would coexist under one roof. This idea became the Lahey Clinic and it was built at 605 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where it would remain for another fifty-five years. (Its former building now houses the BU School of Education.)
Lahey's original team—gastroenterologist Sara Jordan, anesthesiologist Lincoln Sise, operating nurse Blanche Wallace, surgical assistant Howard Clute—were pioneers in their fields.
Physicians saw only outpatients at Lahey Clinic in the early years. In fact, much of the day was spent traveling between the New England Baptist Hospital
New England Baptist Hospital
New England Baptist Hospital is a 141-bed adult medical/surgical hospital in Boston, Massachusetts specializing in orthopedic care and complex orthopedic procedures...
, New England Deaconess, and Peter Bent Brigham hospitals to perform surgeries and visit inpatients.
Medical centers were not common in the United States in the 1920s. If there were problems that the family doctor could not handle, the patient would be referred to a specialist or transported to a hospital. Lahey's team was often called out to outlying Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
towns for emergencies—to towns and cities in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
By the 1930s and 1940s, the clinic was known worldwide for its phenomenal surgical outcomes, and state-of-the-art treatment of thyroid, gastrointestinal, and gall bladder disorders. In 1940, an article was written in Time Magazine describing the clinic's history and Dr. Lahey's election as the new president of the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
.
The reputation that Lahey Clinic has for innovative technology, pioneer medical treatment, and cutting-edge research was built upon Dr. Lahey's belief that the group practice also should be a center for research and learning. From the beginning, the clinic offered residents and fellows a chance to polish their skills under the careful supervision of some of the nation's leading physicians.
By the time the clinic moved eleven miles (18 km) northwest to its current location in Burlington in November 1980, the practice had expanded to include services offered by more than thirty departments. Many of these departments had begun with single physicians who worked to promote their specialty. The Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...
and Anesthesiology Departments, in particular, arose from the practices of Jordan and Sise, who in the 1920s were among the first physicians in the United States to specialize in these growing fields.
Lahey Clinic today
At Lahey Clinic, more than 450 physicians and 4,000 nurses, therapists, and other support staff work together to provide compassionate care and superior patient outcomes. The clinic's multidisciplinary approach allows access for patients to physicians from several medical specialties, who cooperate to develop personalized treatment plans for each patient.Lahey Clinic Medical Center is a teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
The Tufts University School of Medicine is one of the eight schools that constitute Tufts University. Located on the university's health sciences campus in the Chinatown district of Boston, Massachusetts, the medical school has clinical affiliations with thousands of doctors and researchers in the...
. In addition, many of its physicians hold teaching assignments at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
and Boston University School of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine is one of the graduate schools of Boston University. Founded in 1848, the medical school holds the unique distinction as the first institution in the world to formally educate female physicians. Originally known as the New England Female Medical College, it was...
. The clinic maintains residency and fellowship programs for more than 130 new physicians in multiple subspecialties.
As a research center, Lahey Clinic offers patients access to clinical trials of new therapies for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and cataracts. Research programs at Lahey Clinic encompass more than 200 clinical trial protocols and participation in numerous national and international studies.
Specialties
Lahey Clinic provides access to many medical specialties.The Landsman Heart & Vascular Center is one of the largest in the region and is recognized as a Solucient 100 Top Hospital. Through partnerships with local hospitals, Lahey physicians provide advanced cardiology services such as angioplasty and electrophysiology.
The Cerebrovascular Disease Center is among the most advanced in the region for the treatment of strokes and brain aneurysms. The Liver Transplantation Team was the first in New England to perform adult live-donor transplant procedures. In addition, surgeons are using minimally invasive laparoscopic methods, reducing the surgical recovery time for conditions such as kidney disease and bladder cancer. Robotic surgical techniques also are emerging in urology and gynecological surgery. For the past six years, Lahey Clinic was cited in U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Hospitals issue for excellence in treating urological diseases.
Through the Sophia Gordon Cancer Center at Lahey Clinic, a complete range of medical and surgical specialty departments are involved in the care of cancer patients. They sponsor regular tumor conferences to exchange information and, together as a team, manage patients with the most complex diagnoses.
Facilities
Lahey Clinic Medical Center, in Burlington, serves more than 4,000 patients each day. This location includes a 317-bed acute-care hospital, 23 operating rooms, extensive diagnostic facilities, a 24-hour Emergency Room and Level II Trauma Center, and physicians' offices and ambulatory clinics. Hospital and physician services, including laboratory, X-ray and pharmacy, are available under one roof. All inpatient rooms are private with private baths.Lahey Clinic Medical Center, North Shore, in Peabody (known as Lahey North), serves nearly 800 outpatients each day. Lahey North is a full-service medical center featuring a 24-hour Emergency Department, an Ambulatory Surgery Center, and more than 20 medical and surgical specialties. Patients have access to a 10-bed inpatient care unit and various ancillary services, including on-site diagnostic radiology and MRI. With the recent completion of a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) facility and clinical services expansion, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, North Shore, offers even more services in a larger, patient and family-friendly environment.
Lahey Medical Center in Lexington, is a comprehensive health center providing outpatient services in the suburbs west of Boston. In addition to adult primary care, the Lexington facility offers consultation services in a range of medical and surgical specialties, including dermatology, gastroenterology, gynecology, neurology, orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology, physical therapy and rheumatology. Diagnostic resources available in Lexington include laboratory services, X-ray, bone density testing, digital mammography, and an open MRI. The Center for Cosmetic and Laser Surgery and the MS Center are also based at the Lexington facility.
Lahey Clinic also has twelve community group practices. Lahey's community group practices are staffed by physicians and allied health professionals in locations spanning from Merrimack Valley to the North Shore, and throughout the northwest suburbs of Boston. Physicians in these practices are board certified in internal medicine, pediatrics or family practice and work with local medical resources as appropriate, with access to Lahey Clinic specialists when needed.
Lahey Clinic has also recently established a number of satellite specialty care locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to further expand its ability to provide subspecialty care in the fields of cancer, urology and the neurosciences to local area residents.
Recognition received
Lahey Clinic was named among the top cardiovascular teaching hospitals in the country by Solucient, a leading source of health care business research. Lahey also received the Premier Award for Quality for excellent care in the area of heart failure. In July 2006, U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
named Lahey Clinic in its "America's Best Hospitals" issue for the ninth year in a row. Lahey was listed among the best in the country for excellence in urologic diseases.
Lahey received the American Stroke Association's Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Initial Performance Achievement Award. Lahey is one of 68 centers classified as Primary Stroke Services by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Lahey Clinic has accreditation from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to perform live-donor liver transplants. Lahey's liver tranplant team has performed more than 128 live-donor liver transplant surgeries since the program's inception.