Pennsylvania Hospital
Encyclopedia
Pennsylvania Hospital is a hospital
in Center City, Philadelphia
, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Health System
("Penn Health System"). Founded on May 11, 1751 by Benjamin Franklin
and Thomas Bond
, it was the first hospital in the United States
. It is also home to the first surgical amphitheatre and first medical library in America.
On September 2, 1751, Mathias Koplin donated the first plot of ground for the new hospital.
In 1752, the first (temporary) building was opened on High (now Market) Street. Elizabeth Gardner (a Quaker widow) was appointed Matron.
In 1755 the cornerstone was laid for the East Wing of what would become the hospital's permanent location at 8th and Pine Streets. Patients were first admitted to the permanent hospital in 1756. The site continued to grow through the years with the addition of more wings (such as the West Wing of the building which was built in 1796) and buildings, extra land and further expansion.
Pennsylvania Hospital gained a reputation as a center of innovation and medical advancement, particularly in the area of maternity. It was a teaching hospital
from its very beginning, when Bond would lead rounds through what is now the east wing of the main building. In its early years it was also known for its particularly advanced and humane facilities for mentally ill patients (at a time when mental illness was very poorly understood and patients were often treated very badly). Care of the mentally ill was removed to West Philadelphia
in 1841 with the construction of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane, later known as The Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital
. Under superintendent Thomas Story Kirkbride
, the hospital developed a treatment philosophy that became the standard for care of the mentally ill in the 19th century.
In 1950 Pennsylvania Hospital was recognized for becoming more highly specialized as it established, in addition to its sophisticated maternity programs, an intensive care unit for neurological patients, a coronary care unit, an orthopaedic institute, a diabetes center, a hospice, specialized units in oncology
and urology
and broadened surgical programs.
The hospital was also a center through the years for treating the war wounded. Patients were brought to the hospital for treatment in the Revolutionary War, the American Civil War
and the Spanish American War, and units from the hospital were sent abroad to treat wounded in World War I
and in World War II
(to the Pacific theater).
The seal of the hospital, chosen by Franklin and Bond, incorporates the story of the Good Samaritan; the phrase "Take Care of Him and I will repay Thee" is used on it.
In 1997 Pennsylvania Hospital's Board of Managers made the decision to merge with the University of Pennsylvania Health System
. The large Health System helps to support the formerly stand-alone hospital with its network of resources.
In 2001 Pennsylvania Hospital celebrated its 250th anniversary.
, a British friend of Franklin's. In 1847 the American Medical Association
designated the library as the first, largest, and most important medical library in the United States
. The collection now contains over 13,000 volumes dating back to the 15th century--including medical and scientific volumes as well as books on natural history. The library includes the nation's most complete collection of medical books published between 1750 and 1850. The collection also contains several incunabula, books written before 1501, when the printed process was invented.
and gynecology took a 75-year break at the hospital. The specialties were reinstated in 1929 with the opening of the Woman’s Building (now the Spruce Building) which sported 150 adult beds, 80 bassinets, 2 operating rooms, a series of labor and delivery rooms, and outpatient clinics. It was considered "one of the most modern hospital buildings in the country" especially at a time when women’s medicine was not thought to be very important and most births were still done at home. This was followed in 1978 with the first Antenatal Testing Unit (ATU) in the region and in 1985 when the first GIFT (Gamete intrafallopian transfer
) pregnancy in Philadelphia was achieved at the hospital. In 1987 Pennsylvania Hospital had two obstetrical firsts: the first birthing suite in a tertiary care hospital in the state was opened, and the first gestational carrier and egg donor
programs in the Delaware Valley
were begun to complement the hospital's existing fertility services. In 1995 the hospital was the first in the region to achieve 1,000 live births from in-vitro fertilization, GIFT
and other assisted reproductive technologies.
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....
in Center City, Philadelphia
Center City, Philadelphia
Center City, or Downtown Philadelphia includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2005, its population of over 88,000 made it the third most populous downtown in the United States, after New York City's and Chicago's...
, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Health System
University of Pennsylvania Health System
The University of Pennsylvania Health System is a diverse research and clinical care organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1993, it currently operates under the direction and auspices of Penn Medicine, a division of the University of Pennsylvania...
("Penn Health System"). Founded on May 11, 1751 by Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
and Thomas Bond
Thomas Bond (physician)
Thomas Bond was an American physician and surgeon. In 1751 he co-founded the Pennsylvania Hospital, the first medical facility in the American colonies, with Benjamin Franklin, and also volunteered his services there as both physician and teacher.-Education and professional life:Bond was born in...
, it was the first hospital in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is also home to the first surgical amphitheatre and first medical library in America.
Awards and recognition
- In 2011-2012, U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World ReportU.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...
ranked Pennsylvania Hospital among the best in the nation for orthopedics. It was also high-performing in 10 adult specialties, including cardiology & heart surgery, diabetes & endocrinology, ear, nose & throat, gastroenterology, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology & neurosurgery, pulmonology, and urology.
- In 2008, Philadelphia Magazine recognized 22 Pennsylvania Hospital physicians as "Top Docs."
- In 2004, a study in AARPAARPAARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is the United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a...
Modern Maturity ranked Pennsylvania Hospital as one of the Top Ten Hospitals in America. The hospital received additional honors for cardiac care, cardiovascular surgeries, infectious care, knee-hip orthopaedics and pulmonary care—all five specialties are also ranked within the top 10 in the nation.
- In JCAHO's 2003 survey of the hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital received a score of 96, with no citations. Additionally, Pennsylvania Hospital received top-tier reviews from the Pennsylvania State Department of Health.
- In 2008, The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) recognized Pennsylvania Hospital as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.
History
The Hospital was originally conceived in 1751 by Dr. Thomas Bond as an institution "for the reception and cure of the sick poor... free of charge", and was funded grace to donations of the people of Philadelphia.On September 2, 1751, Mathias Koplin donated the first plot of ground for the new hospital.
In 1752, the first (temporary) building was opened on High (now Market) Street. Elizabeth Gardner (a Quaker widow) was appointed Matron.
In 1755 the cornerstone was laid for the East Wing of what would become the hospital's permanent location at 8th and Pine Streets. Patients were first admitted to the permanent hospital in 1756. The site continued to grow through the years with the addition of more wings (such as the West Wing of the building which was built in 1796) and buildings, extra land and further expansion.
Pennsylvania Hospital gained a reputation as a center of innovation and medical advancement, particularly in the area of maternity. It was a teaching hospital
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
from its very beginning, when Bond would lead rounds through what is now the east wing of the main building. In its early years it was also known for its particularly advanced and humane facilities for mentally ill patients (at a time when mental illness was very poorly understood and patients were often treated very badly). Care of the mentally ill was removed to West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though there is no official definition of its boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Line Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and...
in 1841 with the construction of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane, later known as The Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital
The Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital
The Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital, or Kirkbride's Hospital, was a psychiatric hospital located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that operated from its founding in 1841 until 1997...
. Under superintendent Thomas Story Kirkbride
Thomas Story Kirkbride
Thomas Story Kirkbride was a physician, advocate for the mentally ill, and founder of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane , a precursor to the American Psychiatric Association.-Early career:Born into a Quaker family in Morrisville, Pennsylvania,...
, the hospital developed a treatment philosophy that became the standard for care of the mentally ill in the 19th century.
In 1950 Pennsylvania Hospital was recognized for becoming more highly specialized as it established, in addition to its sophisticated maternity programs, an intensive care unit for neurological patients, a coronary care unit, an orthopaedic institute, a diabetes center, a hospice, specialized units in oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
and urology
Urology
Urology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
and broadened surgical programs.
The hospital was also a center through the years for treating the war wounded. Patients were brought to the hospital for treatment in the Revolutionary War, the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and the Spanish American War, and units from the hospital were sent abroad to treat wounded in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(to the Pacific theater).
The seal of the hospital, chosen by Franklin and Bond, incorporates the story of the Good Samaritan; the phrase "Take Care of Him and I will repay Thee" is used on it.
In 1997 Pennsylvania Hospital's Board of Managers made the decision to merge with the University of Pennsylvania Health System
University of Pennsylvania Health System
The University of Pennsylvania Health System is a diverse research and clinical care organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1993, it currently operates under the direction and auspices of Penn Medicine, a division of the University of Pennsylvania...
. The large Health System helps to support the formerly stand-alone hospital with its network of resources.
In 2001 Pennsylvania Hospital celebrated its 250th anniversary.
Historic library
In 1762, the first book for the hospital's medical library was donated by John FothergillJohn Fothergill (physician)
John Fothergill FRS was an English physician, plant collector, philanthropist and Quaker.- Life and work :...
, a British friend of Franklin's. In 1847 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:...
designated the library as the first, largest, and most important medical library in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The collection now contains over 13,000 volumes dating back to the 15th century--including medical and scientific volumes as well as books on natural history. The library includes the nation's most complete collection of medical books published between 1750 and 1850. The collection also contains several incunabula, books written before 1501, when the printed process was invented.
Surgical amphitheatre
The top floor of Pennsylvania Hospital is the home of the nation's oldest surgical amphitheatre. The amphitheatre served as the operating room from 1804 through 1868. Surgeries were performed on sunny days between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm since there was no electricity at the time. The surgical amphitheatre seats 180 and with those standing, up to 300 people might be present during any given surgical operation.Physic garden
The Physic Garden is the jewel in the crown that makes up the Pennsylvania Hospital gardens. The Board of Managers first proposed the Physic Garden in 1774 to provide physicians with ingredients for medicines. The idea was approved, but financial circumstances intervened and the project was delayed for two centuries. In 1976, the planting of the garden was the bicentennial project of the Philadelphia Committee of the Garden Club of America and the Friends of Pennsylvania Hospital. Located in front of the Pine Building's West Wing, the garden has plants that were used for medicines in the 18th century. Once used to stimulate the heart, ease toothaches, relieve indigestion and cleanse wounds, now their shaded respite provides healing of a more spiritual kind for patients and visitors alike.Maternity firsts
Pennsylvania Hospital is noted for its many firsts in the area of women’s medicine, especially in maternity. In 1803 the hospital established a "lying-in" (or maternity) department. This lasted until 1854 when obstetricsObstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
and gynecology took a 75-year break at the hospital. The specialties were reinstated in 1929 with the opening of the Woman’s Building (now the Spruce Building) which sported 150 adult beds, 80 bassinets, 2 operating rooms, a series of labor and delivery rooms, and outpatient clinics. It was considered "one of the most modern hospital buildings in the country" especially at a time when women’s medicine was not thought to be very important and most births were still done at home. This was followed in 1978 with the first Antenatal Testing Unit (ATU) in the region and in 1985 when the first GIFT (Gamete intrafallopian transfer
Gamete intrafallopian transfer
Gamete intrafallopian transfer is a tool of assisted reproductive technology against infertility. Eggs are removed from a woman's ovaries, and placed in one of the Fallopian tubes, along with the man's sperm...
) pregnancy in Philadelphia was achieved at the hospital. In 1987 Pennsylvania Hospital had two obstetrical firsts: the first birthing suite in a tertiary care hospital in the state was opened, and the first gestational carrier and egg donor
Egg donor
Egg donation is the process by which a woman provides one or several eggs for purposes of assisted reproduction or biomedical research. For assisted reproduction purposes, egg donation involves the process of in vitro fertilization as the eggs are fertilized in the laboratory. After the eggs...
programs in the Delaware Valley
Delaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is a term used to refer to the valley where the Delaware River flows, along with the surrounding communities. This includes the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia. Such educational institutions as Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township...
were begun to complement the hospital's existing fertility services. In 1995 the hospital was the first in the region to achieve 1,000 live births from in-vitro fertilization, GIFT
Gamete intrafallopian transfer
Gamete intrafallopian transfer is a tool of assisted reproductive technology against infertility. Eggs are removed from a woman's ovaries, and placed in one of the Fallopian tubes, along with the man's sperm...
and other assisted reproductive technologies.
Famous physicians
- Benjamin RushBenjamin RushBenjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
, on staff from 1783 until 1813, he was a medical teacher, a social reformer, and a signer of the Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of independenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
. - Philip Syng PhysickPhilip Syng PhysickPhilip Syng Physick was an American physician born in Philadelphia.-Biography:Physick graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1785, then began the study of medicine under Dr. Adam Kuhn, and continued it in London under Dr. John Hunter, becoming, on January 1, 1790, house surgeon of St....
, on staff 1794 until 1816, he achieved fame through his surgical prowess.
See also
- Hospital of the University of PennsylvaniaHospital of the University of PennsylvaniaThe Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is a hospital affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Health System located in the University City section of West Philadelphia. The hospital was founded at its current location in 1874 by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,...
("HUP") - A separate hospital also affiliated with the Penn Health System.