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. It opened in 1912 and is one of only two hospitals in Oregon that can handle the most serious injuries. This is called a Level I trauma center. It also has the only special burn treatment center between Seattle and Sacramento.
This hospital is home to the Life Flight Network, which uses helicopters to quickly transport very sick or injured people. It was the first service like this on the U.S. West Coast. Legacy Emanuel has 554 beds and offers many services. These include surgery, heart care, brain surgery, and special care for high-risk pregnancies. The hospital also includes the Randall Children's Hospital, which is just for kids.
The hospital was first called Emanuel Hospital. It was started by the First Immanuel Lutheran Church of Portland. Its first location was a beautiful old Victorian house. A nursing school opened in 1913. Soon, a new building was needed and built in 1915 because more and more patients came.
Over the years, the hospital grew a lot. In the 1970s, the hospital expanded, which meant many homes and businesses had to move. In 1989, Emanuel Hospital joined with another hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital. Together, they formed the Legacy Health System, and that's when it became known as Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.
Contents
A Look Back: Legacy Emanuel's History
How Legacy Emanuel Started
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Emanuel Hospital began in 1912. Reverend Carl J. Renhard from the First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Portland started it. Fun fact: The name "Immanuel" was accidentally misspelled as "Emanuel" on all the official papers. They decided to keep the misspelled name!
The very first hospital was a three-story Victorian house. People called it the "Gingerbread House" because of how it looked. Nurses lived on the third floor. Since there was no elevator, patients had to be carried upstairs. A major surgery back then cost only $15!
In 1913, a nursing school opened at the hospital. Sister Betty Hanson, a Lutheran nun, was in charge. She also led the Columbia Medical Conference.
By December 1915, the hospital moved to a new building. It cost $20,000 to build. This new location was at Stanton and Commercial Streets, where the hospital is today. It had 135 beds. In 1921, a new four-story building for the nursing school was added. A bigger hospital building opened in 1926. The old building became a maternity ward for new mothers and babies.
Growing Through the Years
In 1947, a record 4,328 babies were born at the hospital! In 1951, a special program for pastoral care began. It was the first of its kind in the western United States. The original 1915 hospital building was taken down in 1952. This made space for new parts that added 128 more beds.
In 1955, Dr. DeNorval Unthank, an African-American doctor, joined the hospital staff. He had been practicing medicine in Portland since 1929. He later joined the hospital's board of directors in 1971.
The hospital opened a special ward just for teenagers in 1957. This was the first of its kind in the whole United States! This special ward was even featured in the Saturday Evening Post magazine in 1961. The hospital also closed its polio ward that same year. By 1960, the hospital was getting too crowded. They started looking for ways to expand.
In the 1970s, the hospital began a big expansion project. This project caused about 300 homes and businesses to be moved. Many years later, in 2012, Legacy Emanuel formally apologized for the impact this expansion had on the community.
Modern Developments and Care
In 1971, Emanuel Hospital joined with another hospital to create what is now Legacy Meridian Park Hospital. In 1978, the hospital added a helipad. This allowed them to start the Life Flight Network. This was the very first air ambulance system on the U.S. West Coast.
In 1988, Emanuel became one of only two Level I trauma centers in Oregon. This means it's equipped to handle the most severe injuries. The next year, Emanuel Hospital joined with Good Samaritan Hospital. They created the Legacy Health System, which is a big group of hospitals.
In 2012, the hospital opened a brand new building. This building is home to the Randall Children's Hospital. It cost $226 million to build and is a very important part of the campus.
What Legacy Emanuel Offers
Legacy Emanuel has many special centers. These include centers for burn treatment, urology, trauma care, and care for newborns. The Trauma Center has been a Level I trauma facility since 1988. This means it's ready for the most serious emergencies. The campus also has the Children's Hospital.
Legacy Oregon Burn Center
Legacy's burn unit helps about 300 patients every year. This burn center is one of the few in the country with a special scanner. This scanner helps create custom masks for people with severe facial burns. These masks help them heal better.
Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel
Randall Children's Hospital is right on the main hospital's campus. It's connected to Legacy Emanuel Hospital. It has a special neonatal unit for newborns who need extra help. Randall Children's Hospital also has a cancer treatment center. This center offers services for brain and nerve problems related to cancer. It also has its own emergency room just for kids.
On the campus, there's a twenty-five bedroom Ronald McDonald House. It opened in 1997. This house provides free housing for parents whose children are getting care at the hospital. It also helps families whose children are being treated at other nearby hospitals.
The current Randall Children's Hospital building is nine stories tall. It was finished in February 2012. This big expansion cost $242 million. In 2011, the hospital got its current name, Randall Children's Hospital. This was thanks to a $10 million donation from the Robert D. and Marcia H. Randall Charitable Trust.
Nurse Training Center
Legacy opened the Carl Peterson Clinical Nursing Education Center in 2005. This center has many special labs. These labs are designed to train and test nurses. The education center also helps train all staff members, not just nurses.
Quality and Recognition
Legacy Emanuel is officially approved by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). This means it meets high standards for patient care and safety.
