Pennsylvania Hospital

Pennsylvania Hospital by Ben Franklin
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Geography
Location	Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Organization
Care system	Private
Hospital type	Teaching Hospital
Affiliated university	University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Services
Beds	534
History
Founded	May 11, 1751
Links
Website	http://www.pennmedicine.org/pahosp/
Lists	Hospitals in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Hospital
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
The Pennsylvania Hospital by William Strickland (1755)
Location:	800 Spruce Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates:	39°56′41.2″N 75°9′22.56″W
Built:	December 17, 1756
Architect:	Samuel Rhoads
Architectural style:	Colonial and Federal (Pine Building)
Governing body:	Private
NRHP Reference#:	66000688
Added to NRHP:	October 15, 1966

Pennsylvania Hospital ("Pennsy") is a hospital in Center City, Philadelphia, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Health System ("Penn Medicine"). 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.

Awards and recognition

• In 2011-2012, U.S. News & World Report 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 AARP 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 Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) recognized Pennsylvania Hospital as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.

• Parts of the movie Rocky II, starring Sylvester Stallone, were filmed on the Pennsylvania Hospital campus in 1978.

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 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.

Historic firsts

Historic library

In 1762, the first book for the hospital's medical library was donated by John Fothergill, 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.

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 obstetrics 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.

Famous physicians

• Benjamin Rush, on staff from 1783 until 1813, he was a medical teacher, a social reformer, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
• Philip Syng Physick, on staff 1794 until 1816, he achieved fame through his surgical prowess.

See also

• University of Pennsylvania Health System
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania ("HUP") - A separate hospital also affiliated with the Penn Health System.
• Penn Presbyterian Medical Center ("Presby")

External links

• Pennsylvania Hospital, University of Pennsylvania Health System
• Bloodless Medicine & Surgery Center, Pennsylvania Hospital