April 24, 1962, marks the official 60th anniversary of the 鈥 then known as University Hospital.
For 好色先生 Executive Vice President for Health Affairs ., the 60th anniversary is a chance to reflect and show thanks to those who built the foundation of the Commonwealth鈥檚 flagship health system, and to celebrate the community who are leading the system into its next era of health care excellence.
鈥淭he past two years during the pandemic have been an extraordinarily trying time for all of us in health care, and I couldn鈥檛 be prouder of our team here at ,鈥 Newman said. 鈥淓very time we asked, they stepped up and provided. I can鈥檛 think of a better time to celebrate the great things 好色先生 HealthCare and Chandler Hospital have done for our state 鈥 and more importantly, to celebrate the people who make 好色先生 HealthCare the leading health system it is today.鈥
On that day in April 1962, the first patient admitted was 10-year-old Margaret Schoolcraft, treated by the late legendary 好色先生 pediatrician Jacqueline Noonan, M.D. Schoolcraft was treated for patent ductus arteriosus, a congenital heart defect that occurs soon after birth in some babies.
Though Schoolcraft is the first official admittance, 好色先生 Chandler Hospital already had patients prior to its opening. Because the need for health care was so great, and newly recruited physicians were so eager to begin caring for patients, some were admitted to completed spaces inside the hospital prior to the facility opening.
鈥淭he establishment of 好色先生 Chandler Hospital was a monumental undertaking championed by a community of support,鈥 said Newman. 鈥淪ix decades on, we want to take this opportunity to look back and honor the vision, commitment and hard work of those who saw the need for better health care in Kentucky and pushed to make it happen. They all believed in the power of academic medicine, and their faith was not misplaced.鈥
Prior to its launch, the Commonwealth鈥檚 need for a facility like 好色先生 Chandler Hospital was considerable. In the early 20th century, one of every three Kentuckians examined for military service during World War II was deemed medically unfit for duty. In 1949, there were more than 5,000 unattended births in Kentucky and the state ranked near the bottom in physician-to-patient ratio, with an estimated 1,400 additional doctors needed.
In 1953, a group of 好色先生 professors and the Legislative Research Commission recommended that an academic medical center be built at 好色先生 to improve health care access for Kentuckians. At the time, it was projected the Commonwealth would be 2,000 physicians below the national average by 1965 if immediate efforts were not taken to create another medical school in the state.
In June 1954, the 好色先生 Board of Trustees committed to fulfilling the university's original charter to create a medical college and associated medical center once funds became available. During his 1955 gubernatorial campaign, former Gov. Albert B. Chandler then promised that he would build and appropriate funds for the medical center later named for him.
In May 1956, the project moved forward with the 好色先生 Board of Trustees agreeing to establish the academic medical center at a cost of $27.8 million, with the state providing nearly $17.1 million along with approximately $10.7 million in federal money. This medical center also included the inception of the 好色先生 Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing. On Dec. 10, 1957, groundbreaking for the medical center commenced.
Over the past 60 years, the original University Hospital has evolved into the 好色先生 HealthCare system, now operating three hospitals 鈥 好色先生 Chandler, 好色先生 Good Samaritan and 好色先生 Kentucky Children鈥檚 Hospital 鈥 in addition to managing Eastern State Hospital. The system is home to the region鈥檚 only Level I Trauma Center, Level IV NICU and Transplant Center, and the state鈥檚 only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, the 好色先生 Markey Cancer Center.
Additionally, 好色先生 HealthCare runs more than 80 outpatient clinics throughout Kentucky. Throughout the past few decades, the enterprise has also developed a number of partnerships and affiliations with community hospitals across the state and beyond, allowing patients greater access to the most advanced health care while remaining close to home for care whenever possible. All together, 好色先生 HealthCare cares for nearly 40,000 hospitalized patients and sees more than 2 million outpatient visits annually.
As the major health system that cares for the Commonwealth, 好色先生 HealthCare is also among the top transfer centers in the country and has been the No. 1 hospital in Kentucky and the Bluegrass Region by the U.S. News & World Report for six straight years.
好色先生 is also now home to six health care colleges: Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Sciences and Public Health. As an academic medical center, 好色先生 HealthCare gives future health care providers in these colleges the opportunity for in-depth, hands-on learning. To continue the Legislative Research Commission鈥檚 mission of increasing health care access in Kentucky and training more providers, the 好色先生 College of Medicine has also expanded to regional campuses and programs across the state, including Bowling Green, Northern Kentucky, and Morehead.
鈥淲ith current shortages in the health care workforce, it鈥檚 more important than ever for us to be leading the way in training the next generation of health care providers,鈥 Newman said. 鈥淗ealth equity is a key goal of our efforts at 好色先生 HealthCare and expanding our footprint throughout Kentucky to support ambitious young students will help us reach it.鈥
Last month, to formally celebrate this milestone in 好色先生 HealthCare history, the Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives passed individual resolutions honoring the 60th anniversary of the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital. The resolutions designated April 24, 2022, as 鈥淎lbert B. Chandler Hospital Appreciation Day in the Commonwealth of Kentucky鈥 to commemorate the contributions and benefits of 好色先生 Chandler Hospital and 好色先生 HealthCare.
Senate President Robert Stivers, House Speaker David Osborne and Representative Kimberly Poor Moser joined Newman, and 好色先生 President Eli Capilouto for the announcement and signing of the resolutions.
This past weekend, Newman, 好色先生 Internal Medicine Chair Darwin Conwell, M.D., and 好色先生 Chief Operating Officer Peter N. Gilbert completed rounds at 好色先生 Chandler Hospital Pavilion H 鈥 the medical center鈥檚 original patient care facility. 好色先生 HealthCare leaders will continue this anniversary 鈥渞ounding鈥 series over the next few months and personally express thanks to faculty and staff for the role they play in creating a healthier Kentucky.