Melrose-Wakefield Hospital
Encyclopedia
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital (often abbreviated to "Melrose-Wakefield" or "Mel-Wak") is a 234-bed non-profit
hospital
located in Melrose
, Massachusetts
. It is one of two general hospitals operated by Melrose based Hallmark Health System.
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital was home to the world's first cochlear implant
and laser surgery
and it was among the first hospitals in the country to offer same day surgery. It is also among the top 10% of hospitals in the nation for stroke care and the top 15% in the nation for heart attack treatment.
The hospital's door-to-balloon
time is 92.67 minutes, compared with a national average of 155 minutes. Melrose-Wakefield Hospital also exceeds state averages for successful and timely patient outcomes.
, Massachusetts
. The bylaw
s of the Association stated that the purpose for which the Association is constituted is to establish and maintain a hospital for the treatment and care of needy, sick and disabled persons of both sexes, and also of persons who may be able to pay for such treatment in whole or in part; such receipts to be used in the partial support of the hospital.
At first, the hospital was not fully self sufficient, with the city
often appropriating a sum of money towards its yearly expenses. During its beginnings, every third Sunday in May, local area churches collected contributions to support the hospital. In addition, the Hospital Guild, formed during the hospital's first year, held several fair
s as fundraisers.
The first hospital was in a former residence located at 39 Oakland Street, but it soon became too small for the association's needs so it purchased and moved to a home at 75 Myrtle Street. In 1894, the association purchased a plot of land on the corner of Lebanon and Porter Streets at 585 Lebanon Street where it moved to in 1913, and remains today. Also in 1894, the Melrose Hospital School of Nursing opened in order to assure a continuous source of qualified labor.
, more maternity beds were added and the Children's Ward expanded bringing bed capacity to 187.
In 1958, the hospital officially changed its name to "Melrose-Wakefield Hospital" to reflect the increasing utilization of its services by neighboring Wakefield, Massachusetts
.
In 1965, the hospital named Jane Bain, a graduate of the School of Nursing, as director of the school. Under her direction, improvements were made in the School of Nursing's curriculum and facilities and a building at 340 Main Street was purchased for classrooms and a dormitory
. The curriculum was expanded to include para-medical training for patient care and surgical technicians and led to the founding of the Physical Therapy Department, Electro-Encephalography Unit and an array of ambulatory psychiatric services.
In 1967, Melrose-Wakefield opened its intensive care unit
(ICU). The four-bed unit was one of the nation's first ICUs at a community hospital.
During the late-1960s and early-1970s, a shift to outpatient treatment began in hospitals throughout the nation. In response, Melrose-Wakefield introduced a number of outpatient programs, including a breast cancer detection clinic, a cardiopulmonary testing laboratory, an occupational therapy unit, and a host of services provided by home health nurses. As part of its outpatient services, the hospital became one of the first hospitals in the nation to offer same day surgery. In 1973, the hospital became the first in Massachusetts
to offer a state-supervised course for the training of emergency medical technicians (EMTs)
In the mid-1970s, Dr. Geza Jako, a surgeon, medical researcher, and professor at Boston University Medical School demonstrated the first successful use of the laser
as a surgical tool at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.
In 1975, Melrose-Wakefield launched a major campaign to expand the hospital. The $11 million renovation and replacement project added a six-story medical wing containing 100 new beds and a new home for the Radiology, Emergency, and Intensive Care units. Following the expansion, Melrose-Wakefield's School of Nursing graduated its last class of nurses and closed on May 30, 1976 due to financial concerns and changing trends in nursing education.
laboratory.
Melrose-Wakefield also began working with its partners in the Community Hospitals of Eastern Middlesex (CHEM) organization to upgrade its shared medical facility on Montvale Avenue in Stoneham, Massachusetts
. At the location, it offered radiation therapy
for cancer patients and magnetic resonance imaging
.
On August 1, 1996, Melrose-Wakefield joined Whidden Memorial Hospital
to form UniCare Health Systems as a way to reduce overhead, streamline operations, and effectuate improvements and expansions in services where necessary. A year later, in October 1997, UniCare merged with Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford and Malden Hospital, to form Hallmark Health. Soon, the new company was in debt and forced to sell off Whidden Memorial Hospital to Cambridge Health Alliance
. In later years, it renamed Malden Hospital as Malden Medical Center and cut services there making Melrose-Wakefield and Lawrence Memorial the only full service hospitals of Hallmark Health.
after being selected by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
(DPH) to participate in an elective angioplasty trial. The hospital was one of only seven throughout the state to participate in the "MASS COMM Trial" that studied the benefits of elective (non-emergency) angioplasty without on-site cardiac surgery back-up. The procedure, which is commonly performed in larger teaching hospitals in Boston offers patients the same care without requiring them to travel to a far distance. The Cardiac and Endovascular Center officially opened in December 2007.
On November 1, 2007, Melrose-Wakefield closed its Cummings Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. It had opened in December 1993 to treat patients needing hip and knee rehabilitation, as well as recovering surgery patients from New England Baptist
, Beth Israel Deaconess
and Mass General
who had surgery and choose to recover closer to home. The 17-bed unit was replaced by a medical-surgical floor because of the hospital's need for more beds in that department. All patients were either sent to other nursing homes or home where they would be served by Hallmark Health's Visiting Nurse Association. Today the Cummings Bone and Joint Center, renovated in September 2009, has replaced the medical-surgical unit and is one of the state of the art bone and joint programs in Boston's metro-north.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
hospital
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....
located in Melrose
Melrose, Massachusetts
-Government:Robert J. Dolan is the mayor. Melrose is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Paul Brodeur . Katherine Clark is the state senator for wards 1 through 5 and Thomas McGee is the state senator for wards 6 and 7. Melrose is part of the seventh Congressional...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It is one of two general hospitals operated by Melrose based Hallmark Health System.
Melrose-Wakefield Hospital was home to the world's first cochlear implant
Cochlear implant
A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing...
and laser surgery
Laser surgery
Laser surgery is surgery using a laser to cut tissue instead of a scalpel. Examples include the use of a laser scalpel in otherwise conventional surgery, and soft tissue laser surgery, in which the laser beam vaporizes soft tissue with high water content...
and it was among the first hospitals in the country to offer same day surgery. It is also among the top 10% of hospitals in the nation for stroke care and the top 15% in the nation for heart attack treatment.
The hospital's door-to-balloon
Door-to-balloon
Door-to-balloon is a time measurement in emergency cardiac care , specifically in the treatment of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction . The interval starts with the patient's arrival in the emergency department, and ends when a catheter guidewire crosses the culprit lesion in the cardiac...
time is 92.67 minutes, compared with a national average of 155 minutes. Melrose-Wakefield Hospital also exceeds state averages for successful and timely patient outcomes.
1893–1900: Beginnings
On July 28, 1893, the Melrose Hospital Association was established with forty-eight corporate members at the home of Decius Beebe on West Foster Street in MelroseMelrose, Massachusetts
-Government:Robert J. Dolan is the mayor. Melrose is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Paul Brodeur . Katherine Clark is the state senator for wards 1 through 5 and Thomas McGee is the state senator for wards 6 and 7. Melrose is part of the seventh Congressional...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The bylaw
Bylaw
By-law can refer to a law of local or limited application passed under the authority of a higher law specifying what things may be regulated by the by-law...
s of the Association stated that the purpose for which the Association is constituted is to establish and maintain a hospital for the treatment and care of needy, sick and disabled persons of both sexes, and also of persons who may be able to pay for such treatment in whole or in part; such receipts to be used in the partial support of the hospital.
Melrose, Massachusetts
-Government:Robert J. Dolan is the mayor. Melrose is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Paul Brodeur . Katherine Clark is the state senator for wards 1 through 5 and Thomas McGee is the state senator for wards 6 and 7. Melrose is part of the seventh Congressional...
often appropriating a sum of money towards its yearly expenses. During its beginnings, every third Sunday in May, local area churches collected contributions to support the hospital. In addition, the Hospital Guild, formed during the hospital's first year, held several fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
s as fundraisers.
The first hospital was in a former residence located at 39 Oakland Street, but it soon became too small for the association's needs so it purchased and moved to a home at 75 Myrtle Street. In 1894, the association purchased a plot of land on the corner of Lebanon and Porter Streets at 585 Lebanon Street where it moved to in 1913, and remains today. Also in 1894, the Melrose Hospital School of Nursing opened in order to assure a continuous source of qualified labor.
1950–1979: Expansion
In 1950, the trustees, administrators, and employees publicly rededicated themselves to the mission of providing a "modern, standardized and well-equipped" community hospital. A separate emergency room was created with a full time nurse in charge and nursing assistants were integrated into hospital operations. A new surgical wing was built and the Colby Pavilion wing was completely remodeled. To deal with the Post-World War II baby boomPost-World War II baby boom
The end of World War II brought a baby boom to many countries, especially Western ones. There is some disagreement as to the precise beginning and ending dates of the post-war baby boom, but it is most often agreed to begin in the years immediately after the war, ending more than a decade later;...
, more maternity beds were added and the Children's Ward expanded bringing bed capacity to 187.
In 1958, the hospital officially changed its name to "Melrose-Wakefield Hospital" to reflect the increasing utilization of its services by neighboring Wakefield, Massachusetts
Wakefield, Massachusetts
-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
.
In 1965, the hospital named Jane Bain, a graduate of the School of Nursing, as director of the school. Under her direction, improvements were made in the School of Nursing's curriculum and facilities and a building at 340 Main Street was purchased for classrooms and a dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
. The curriculum was expanded to include para-medical training for patient care and surgical technicians and led to the founding of the Physical Therapy Department, Electro-Encephalography Unit and an array of ambulatory psychiatric services.
In 1967, Melrose-Wakefield opened its intensive care unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
(ICU). The four-bed unit was one of the nation's first ICUs at a community hospital.
During the late-1960s and early-1970s, a shift to outpatient treatment began in hospitals throughout the nation. In response, Melrose-Wakefield introduced a number of outpatient programs, including a breast cancer detection clinic, a cardiopulmonary testing laboratory, an occupational therapy unit, and a host of services provided by home health nurses. As part of its outpatient services, the hospital became one of the first hospitals in the nation to offer same day surgery. In 1973, the hospital became the first in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
to offer a state-supervised course for the training of emergency medical technicians (EMTs)
In the mid-1970s, Dr. Geza Jako, a surgeon, medical researcher, and professor at Boston University Medical School demonstrated the first successful use of the laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
as a surgical tool at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.
In 1975, Melrose-Wakefield launched a major campaign to expand the hospital. The $11 million renovation and replacement project added a six-story medical wing containing 100 new beds and a new home for the Radiology, Emergency, and Intensive Care units. Following the expansion, Melrose-Wakefield's School of Nursing graduated its last class of nurses and closed on May 30, 1976 due to financial concerns and changing trends in nursing education.
1980–2005: Evolving and partnerships
As the prices for health care increased in the 1980s, the hospital was forced to once again adopt a modernization program to keep up with the times. Over the next decade, the plan called for the construction of a Surgical and Ancillary Services Building on the Rowe Street side of the building and the addition of a parking garage on Lebanon Street. Later renovations included the construction a nursery and new labor and delivery suites in the Maternity Ward and the addition of the Cummings Rehabilitation Center and a cardiac catheterizationCardiac catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart. This is done for both investigational and interventional purposes...
laboratory.
Melrose-Wakefield also began working with its partners in the Community Hospitals of Eastern Middlesex (CHEM) organization to upgrade its shared medical facility on Montvale Avenue in Stoneham, Massachusetts
Stoneham, Massachusetts
Stoneham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Its population was 21,437 at the 2010 census, down from 22,219 in 2000. The town is the birthplace of Olympic figure skating medalist Nancy Kerrigan and is the home of the Stone Zoo.- History :...
. At the location, it offered radiation therapy
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy , radiation oncology, or radiotherapy , sometimes abbreviated to XRT or DXT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation, generally as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells.Radiation therapy is commonly applied to the cancerous tumor because of its ability to control...
for cancer patients and magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
.
Whidden Memorial Hospital
Whidden Memorial Hospital is a 162-bed medical/surgical and psychiatric hospital in Everett, Massachusetts. It is one of three hospitals in Cambridge Health Alliance...
to form UniCare Health Systems as a way to reduce overhead, streamline operations, and effectuate improvements and expansions in services where necessary. A year later, in October 1997, UniCare merged with Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford and Malden Hospital, to form Hallmark Health. Soon, the new company was in debt and forced to sell off Whidden Memorial Hospital to Cambridge Health Alliance
Cambridge Health Alliance
Cambridge Health Alliance is a healthcare system in Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston, Massachusetts' metro-north communities and one of the academic teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School....
. In later years, it renamed Malden Hospital as Malden Medical Center and cut services there making Melrose-Wakefield and Lawrence Memorial the only full service hospitals of Hallmark Health.
2006–present: The hospital today
In early September 2006, Melrose-Wakefield Hospital began offering elective angioplastyAngioplasty
Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel, the latter typically being a result of atherosclerosis. An empty and collapsed balloon on a guide wire, known as a balloon catheter, is passed into the narrowed locations and then inflated to a fixed size...
after being selected by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is a governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with various responsibilities related to public health within that state...
(DPH) to participate in an elective angioplasty trial. The hospital was one of only seven throughout the state to participate in the "MASS COMM Trial" that studied the benefits of elective (non-emergency) angioplasty without on-site cardiac surgery back-up. The procedure, which is commonly performed in larger teaching hospitals in Boston offers patients the same care without requiring them to travel to a far distance. The Cardiac and Endovascular Center officially opened in December 2007.
On November 1, 2007, Melrose-Wakefield closed its Cummings Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. It had opened in December 1993 to treat patients needing hip and knee rehabilitation, as well as recovering surgery patients from New England Baptist
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...
, Beth Israel Deaconess
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts is a major flagship teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. It was formed out of the 1996 merger of Beth Israel Hospital and New England Deaconess Hospital...
and Mass General
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
who had surgery and choose to recover closer to home. The 17-bed unit was replaced by a medical-surgical floor because of the hospital's need for more beds in that department. All patients were either sent to other nursing homes or home where they would be served by Hallmark Health's Visiting Nurse Association. Today the Cummings Bone and Joint Center, renovated in September 2009, has replaced the medical-surgical unit and is one of the state of the art bone and joint programs in Boston's metro-north.