Origins of Hospitals in the United States
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Bellevue Hospital
- Established on March 31, 1736
- Location: New York City
- First maternity ward in 1799
- Teaching hospital and center for war-wounded patients
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Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia
- Founded in 1751 by Dr. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin
- Pioneered psychiatric care and nurse training programs
- Considered the first hospital in the country
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Other Early Hospitals
- New York Hospital (1771)
- Boston Dispensary (1796)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (1811)
- Lay foundation for America’s modern medical centers
Oldest Hospitals in the United States
Bellevue Hospital, opened on March 31, 1736, is the oldest public hospital in the US. The first city to have a hospital was New York City, home to Bellevue Hospital, which quickly became a teaching hospital and hub for treating war-wounded patients. The hospital also boasted the nation’s first surgical amphitheatre, initially operational from 1804 to 1868. In addition, Bellevue Hospital launched the country’s pioneering maternity ward in 1799. The Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, founded in 1751 by Dr. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin, is considered the first hospital in the United States, advancing psychiatric care and nurse training programs. Other early hospitals like New York Hospital, Boston Dispensary, and Massachusetts General Hospital further contributed to shaping America’s modern medical landscape. Regional Medical Center in Memphis, inaugurated in 1829, stands as Tennessee’s oldest hospital, complementing the role of community and church-sponsored hospitals dating back to the early treatment of injured soldiers in New York in 1663.