Bellevue Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bellevue Hospital |
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| NYC Health + Hospitals | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | 462 First Avenue, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°44′21″N 73°58′31″W / 40.7393°N 73.9753°W |
| Organization | |
| Funding | Public hospital |
| Hospital type | Teaching |
| Affiliated university | New York University School of Medicine |
| Network | NYC Health + Hospitals NYU Langone Health System |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Level I trauma center |
| Helipad | East 34th Street Heliport (IATA: TSS) |
| Beds | 844 (2015) |
| History | |
| Founded | March 31, 1736 |
Bellevue Hospital is a famous hospital in New York City. It is the oldest public hospital in the United States. Bellevue is one of the biggest hospitals in the country, with many beds for patients. You can find it at 462 First Avenue in the Kips Bay area of Manhattan.
For a long time, Bellevue was known for helping people with mental health issues. Because of this, some people used "Bellevue" as a slang word for a psychiatric hospital. But today, Bellevue is a full-service medical center. It offers many types of care, including emergency services and care for patients staying overnight. It also has special clinics and nursing care.
Bellevue is a "safety net hospital". This means it provides healthcare to everyone, no matter if they have insurance or can pay. Each year, over half a million people visit Bellevue for care.
Contents
A Look Back at Bellevue's History
How Bellevue Hospital Started
Bellevue Hospital began a very long time ago, in 1736. It started as a simple brick building in the city common, which is now City Hall Park. This building was an almshouse, a place for poor people to live.
In 1798, the city bought a farm called Belle Vue. It was used to keep sick people separate during yellow fever outbreaks. In 1824, this place was officially named Bellevue Hospital.
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Growing and Learning
Medical students and teachers from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons started working at Bellevue in 1787. They stayed there for many years. Later, in 1819, teachers from New York University also began teaching at the hospital.
In 1849, a special room opened for teaching about medicine and surgery. Then, in 1861, the Bellevue Hospital Medical College was founded. This was the first medical college in New York linked to a hospital.
Bellevue also opened the nation's first nursing school in 1873. It was based on the ideas of Florence Nightingale. Soon after, in 1874, the first children's clinic in the country opened here. In 1876, the first emergency room in the nation was added.
A special building for people with mental health needs was built in 1879. This was a new idea at the time. This is why the name Bellevue sometimes became a way to refer to psychiatric hospitals.
Important Medical Training and Research
Bellevue started a special training program for doctors in 1883. This program, called a residency training program, is still used today for surgical training around the world.
A year later, the Carnegie Laboratory opened. This was the first lab in the country for studying diseases and tiny germs. In 1888, the nation's first nursing school for men also opened at Bellevue.
City Changes and New Services
In 1902, the city created the Bellevue and Allied Hospitals group. This group also included other hospitals like Harlem Hospital. This new group allowed female and Black doctors to work at Bellevue.
During a time when many people had tuberculosis, Bellevue started its Chest Service in 1903. This helped many patients.
Bellevue continued to be a leader. In 1911, it opened the first clinic for heart problems where patients did not need to stay overnight. In 1917, it opened the first ward in the Western Hemisphere for people with metabolic disorders.
In 1935, a public school for children with emotional challenges opened at Bellevue. This was the first public school of its kind inside a hospital.
Modern Era and Major Events
In 1962, Bellevue created the first intensive care unit in a city hospital. This unit provides very close care for seriously ill patients.
In 1964, Bellevue was chosen as the special hospital for important visitors. This included presidents, foreign leaders, and United Nations diplomats. It also cared for injured police officers and firefighters.
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused a power outage and flooding at Bellevue. All patients had to be moved to other hospitals. In 2015, the hospital's name changed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.
In 2014, U.S. News & World Report ranked Bellevue as one of the best hospitals in the New York area.
Amazing Medical Firsts at Bellevue
Bellevue Hospital has been a place of many "firsts" in medicine:
- In 1799, it opened the first maternity ward in the United States. This is where mothers give birth.
- In 1808, doctors at Bellevue performed the world's first ligation of the femoral artery. This was a surgery to tie off a major blood vessel.
- In 1856, Bellevue doctors helped make the hypodermic syringe popular. This is the needle used to give shots.
- In 1867, Bellevue doctors helped create New York City's sanitary code. This was the first health code in the world.
- In 1869, Bellevue started the second hospital-based emergency ambulance service in the United States.
- In 1889, Bellevue doctors were the first to say that tuberculosis could be prevented.
- In 1933, William Tillett discovered streptokinase at Bellevue. This medicine is now used to treat heart attacks.
- In 1960, Nina Starr Braunwald performed the first mitral valve replacement surgery at the hospital. This was a major heart surgery.
- In 1971, Bellevue doctors developed the first active immunization for hepatitis B. This was a way to protect people from the hepatitis B virus.
- In October 2014, Bellevue successfully treated a patient who had Ebola virus disease. This showed the hospital's ability to handle serious infectious illnesses.
Other Cool Innovations
David Wechsler, a psychologist, worked at Bellevue from 1932 to 1967. He created the famous intelligence tests like the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). He developed these tests to better understand his patients at the hospital. His tests became very popular and are still used today.
What You'll Find at Bellevue Today
Bellevue is one of the largest hospitals in the United States. Each year, it handles about 460,000 clinic visits and nearly 106,000 emergency visits. About 30,000 patients stay overnight.
More than 80% of Bellevue's patients come from parts of the city where medical care is harder to get. Bellevue is a "safety net hospital". This means it provides healthcare to everyone, no matter if they have insurance or can pay.
The hospital has a 25-story building for patient care. It includes an ICU and modern digital radiology. Bellevue has about 1,200 doctors and a staff of about 5,500 people.
Bellevue has separate emergency rooms for kids (ages 0-25) and adults (ages 25 and up).
See also
- List of the oldest hospitals in the United States
