1.09 (V) [FUN} Video - History of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) 1.09 (V) [FUN} Vídeo - História do Hospital Geral de Massachusetts (MGH) 1,09 (V) [FUN} Video - Massachusetts General Hospital'ın (MGH) Tarihçesi 1.09 (V) [FUN} 視頻 - 馬薩諸塞州總醫院 (MGH) 的歷史

at the turn of the 19th century Boston was a growing bustling and robust town one thing it lacked however was a public hospital this was a much needed entity that both New York and Philadelphia had already established wealthy upper-class citizens were easily able to summon a physician to make a house call for their medical needs even some middle-class citizens could find a way for sufficient healthcare when needed but the city's most vulnerable the poor and disabled were left without options there had been a passion and desire to build a public hospital since 1797 when the Honorable William Phillips father of then lieutenant governor William Phillips bequeathed five thousand dollars in his will for the founding of a hospital unfortunately the money sat dormant for over a decade then Reverend John Bartlett who ran the city's poorhouse convinced two prominent Boston physicians dr. John Collins Warren and dr. James Jackson to draft a fundraising letter which would be distributed to Boston's wealthy citizens in an effort to move the hospital building project along from a dream to a reality these two doctors were happy to oblige Warren himself was from a prominent family of Boston physicians his father dr. John Warren had co-founded Harvard Medical School and his uncle dr. Joseph Warren a prominent Revolutionary War Patriot died a hero at the Battle of Bunker Hill on August 20th 1810 what was known as the circular letter was finally ready for widespread distribution it articulated the great need for a General Hospital with the plight of the poor emphasized quote when in distress every man becomes our neighbor the generous response of the Boston citizens was overwhelming and on February 25th 1811 a Charter was granted by the Massachusetts State Legislature for the establishment of Massachusetts General Hospital it mandated that no one would be denied treatment regardless of their ability to pay furthermore it would serve as an exemplary place to train new doctors through its affiliation with Harvard Medical School the ambitious project was stalled however when financial concerns incited by the war of 1812 slowed additional funding and it would be five years before land adjacent to the Charles River was purchased for construction of the new hospital Harvard trained and famed architect Charles Bulfinch who had already successfully designed Fanueil Hall and the mass Statehouse was tapped for the building design of the new hospital and in 1818 the first cornerstone was laid on the banks of the Charles River Bulfinch would later be called to Washington DC to design and supervise construction of the United States Capitol building in 1821 Massachusetts General Hospital began serving Boston's sick and poor by treating and dispensing free medicine to the outpatient community patients would often arrive in boats which were tied to the pilings adjacent to the Charles pilings which you can still see today the Charles River would later be moved and the land surrounding the hospital was filled in making it more accessible the hospital continued to grow and in 1829 had admitted over 500 patients many of them benefited from the generosity of donors who sponsored free board and care for those unable to pay while expansion efforts were in the offing Mass General continued to make significant strides and accomplishments in forwarding medical research with its partners at Harvard Medical School on October 16 1846 one of the most significant milestones in medical history took place when the use of ether was first demonstrated as a way to put surgical patients to sleep and undergo treatment without pain you can still visit the amphitheater here on the MGH campus as it is now a permanent museum to celebrate this achievement the pivotal moment in the history of Mass General is the public demonstration of anesthesia and when you think about the impact that that's had on human suffering there probably isn't another event of that magnitude that can be identified cleanly in the history of medicine I think it's a great testament to the division of the leaders of the state that created the hospital and the important course that they set I think it's a great testament to the culture of this organization which is so strong and so focused on each and every patient in 1905 Mass General had the foresight to form the first Hospital social service department to better serve the poor population as they needed to navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system in 1925 they established the first of its kind tumor Bank which allowed them to understand the biology and treatment of cancers in 1942 under the tragic circumstances of the coconut grove nightclub fire patients were treated with newly innovative burn treatments and Mass General also created the first blood bank more recently in 2001 they opened the proton beam therapy Center which uses a cyclotron to deliver highly targeted radiation treatment to some of the most vulnerable cancer patients mass generals innovation continues as a new state-of-the-art lunder building will open its doors in the summer of 2011 nicknamed the building for the 3rd century it is being built with environmentally friendly materials and will include operating rooms of the future and single room care for all patients with Massachusetts General Hospital's rich history and its commitment to serving all of its citizens including many who travel the world to seek our medical expertise the hospital still strives to fulfill its original tenant when in distress every man becomes our neighbor for more information on Mass General's remarkable history please visit mass general org slash history or Mass General org slash Bicentennial thank you and happy 200th anniversary you