Legacy Emanuel Medical Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Legacy Emanuel Medical Center |
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| Legacy Health | |
Main hospital building in 2019;
Life Flight helipad is visible on top of building |
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 Location in Portland, Oregon
Location in Oregon
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| Geography | |
| Location | 2801 North Gantenbein Avenue, Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°32′36″N 122°40′16″W / 45.543344°N 122.671001°W |
| Organization | |
| Care system | Private, non-profit |
| Hospital type | District General |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Level I |
| Beds | 554 |
| History | |
| Founded | January 2, 1912 |
Legacy Emanuel Medical Center is a large hospital in Portland, Oregon, United States. It opened in 1912. This hospital is one of only two hospitals in Oregon that can treat the most serious injuries. It also has the only special burn treatment center between Seattle and Sacramento.
Legacy Emanuel is home to the Life Flight Network, which uses helicopters to quickly transport patients. This was the first service of its kind on the U.S. West Coast. The hospital has 554 beds and offers many services. These include surgery, heart care, brain surgery, and care for difficult pregnancies. The hospital also has the Randall Children's Hospital inside it. It helps many people with serious injuries.
Originally, the hospital was called Emanuel Hospital. It was started by the First Immanuel Lutheran Church of Portland. Its first location was a historic Victorian house in North Portland. A nursing school opened in 1913. A new building was built in 1915 because more patients needed care.
The hospital grew and changed a lot over many years. In the 1970s, the hospital started a big expansion project. This project caused many homes and businesses in the nearby Albina neighborhood to be moved. In 1989, Emanuel Hospital joined with Good Samaritan Hospital. They formed the Legacy Health System. After this, it became known as Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.
Contents
Hospital History and Growth
Starting the Hospital
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Emanuel Hospital began in 1912. It was started by Reverend Carl J. Renhard from the First Immanuel Lutheran Church. There was a small mistake in the name. The church was "Immanuel," but the hospital's official papers were signed as "Emanuel." They decided to keep the name "Emanuel."
The first hospital was a three-story Victorian house. People called it the "Gingerbread House." Nurses lived on the third floor. Since there was no elevator, patients had to be carried upstairs. A major surgery cost $15 in 1912. In 1913, a nursing school started. Sister Betty Hanson, a Lutheran nun, was in charge of it.
In December 1915, the hospital moved to a new building. This building cost $20,000. It was located at Stanton and Commercial Streets in Albina, where the hospital is today. It had 135 beds. In 1921, a new four-story building for the nursing school was added. It cost $60,000. A larger hospital building opened in 1926. The old building became a maternity ward for new mothers and babies. By 1931, the hospital had grown to be very large.
Mid-Century Changes
In 1947, a record 4,328 babies were born at the hospital. In 1951, a special program for spiritual care was created. It was the first of its kind in the western United States. The next year, the original 1915 hospital building was taken down. This made space for new updates. These updates added 128 more beds, making a total of 584 beds. In 1955, Dr. DeNorval Unthank, an African-American doctor, joined the hospital staff. He later became part of the hospital's board of directors in 1971.
In 1957, the hospital opened a special ward just for teenagers. This was the first of its kind in the United States. A magazine called Saturday Evening Post wrote about it in 1961. In the same year, the hospital closed its polio ward. By 1967, the hospital was planning a big expansion. They wanted to build a large medical area that would cover 19 city blocks. In 1970, the hospital had one of the busiest obstetrics (baby delivery) departments in the Pacific Northwest. About 3,650 babies were born there that year.
In the 1960s, the city worked with Emanuel to plan for new development. However, they did not tell the people living there until 1970. Many homes and businesses were removed. The hospital later apologized in 2012 for the impact this had on the community.
Expansion and Modern Services
In 1971, Emanuel Hospital joined with another hospital to create Metropolitan Hospitals, Inc. In 1972, the hospital expanded again. This meant that about 300 homes and businesses in the Albina neighborhood were removed for the new construction. In 1978, the hospital opened a helipad. This allowed them to start the Life Flight Network. It was the first air ambulance system on the U.S. West Coast.
In 1988, Emanuel became one of only two hospitals in Oregon that could treat the most serious injuries (a Level I trauma center). The next year, Emanuel and Good Samaritan Hospital joined together. They formed the Legacy Health System.
In the early 1990s, Legacy Health and Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) thought about combining their children's hospital services. This would help them save money and work better. However, the plan did not happen. OHSU built a new Doernbecher Children's Hospital building on their campus in 1994.
In February 2012, Legacy Emanuel officially opened a new building. This building is home to the Randall Children's Hospital. It cost $226 million to build.
Hospital Facilities
Legacy Emanuel's campus has special centers for burn treatment, kidney and bladder care, serious injuries, and care for newborn babies. The Trauma Center was named a Level I trauma care facility in 1988. This means it is ready to treat the most severe injuries. The campus also includes the Children's Hospital.
Legacy Oregon Burn Center
Legacy's burn unit treats about 300 patients each year. This burn center is one of the few in the country with a special scanner. It helps create masks for people with severe face burns. These masks help them heal better.
Randall Children's Hospital
Randall Children's Hospital is located on the main hospital's campus. It is connected to Legacy Emanuel Hospital. It has a special unit for very sick newborn babies. Randall Children's Hospital also has a cancer treatment center. It offers services for brain and nerve problems related to cancer. It also has a separate emergency room just for children.
On the campus, there is a Ronald McDonald House. It opened in 1997 and has 25 bedrooms. It offers free housing for parents whose children are getting care at the hospital. The current Randall Children's Hospital building is nine stories tall. It was finished in February 2012. This expansion cost $242 million. In 2011, the hospital received its current name, Randall Children's Hospital. This was after a large donation from the Robert D. and Marcia H. Randall Charitable Trust.
Nurse Training Center
Legacy opened the Carl Peterson Clinical Nursing Education Center at the hospital in 2005. This training center has many practice labs. They are used to train and test nurses. The center also helps train all hospital staff, not just nurses.
Quality and Recognition
Legacy Emanuel is approved by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). This means it meets high standards for patient care and safety.
