Mercy Hospital and Medical Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mercy Hospital and Medical Center (New Name: Insight Hospital) |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Services | |
| Beds | 414 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1852 |
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, now known as Insight Hospital and Medical Center Chicago, is a large hospital in Chicago, Illinois. It has 414 beds and offers many medical and surgical services.
This hospital was started in 1852. It was the first hospital in Chicago to receive an official charter. In 1859, Mercy Hospital became the first Catholic hospital to work with a medical school. This school was called Lind Medical School. It was also the first to require a step-by-step learning plan for doctors.
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Hospital History
The Sisters of Mercy came to the United States from Ireland in the 1840s. Six of them arrived in Chicago in 1846. They first opened a high school. Then, in 1852, they started a hospital. This first hospital was located at Rush Street and the Chicago River.
In 1859, Mercy Hospital became connected with Lind Medical School. This made it the first Catholic hospital to do so. The hospital moved to Wabash and Van Buren Streets. Later, in 1863, it moved again to 26th Street and Calumet Avenue. This spot was quite far south at the time.
The hospital grew bigger in 1869. Its address was then on Prairie Avenue. This street was just east of Calumet Avenue. This new location was very helpful during the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. The hospital was outside the burned area. This meant it could help many fire victims.
In 1968, Mercy Hospital opened its current building. This new, modern hospital was on South Michigan Avenue. It was just west of its old location. The hospital site goes from 25th to 26th Streets. It stretches from Michigan Avenue to Martin Luther King Drive. The mayor at the time, Richard J. Daley, helped the hospital get this land. This allowed it to keep serving the people of Chicago.
Famous Patients and Connections
In 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt was running for president again. He was shot in Milwaukee. After giving a speech, he started to feel weak and lose blood. He was quickly taken to Chicago. President Roosevelt was treated at Mercy Hospital.
Mercy Hospital became a main center for women's cancer care in Illinois. When Michael Reese Hospital closed in 2008, Mercy took in its patients. It also took over its ambulance routes.
The family of Mayor Richard J. Daley used Mercy Hospital often. All seven of his children were born there. In 2008, Mercy sold some land north of the hospital. This sale brought in 60 million dollars.
In 2011, Mercy received a large loan. It was $66 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This money was used to build a new heart care unit.
In 2020, Mercy faced financial challenges. It filed for special protection to reorganize its finances. This was due to fewer patients and more competition from other hospitals.
Hospital Services and Rankings
Mercy is a Level 2 Trauma Center. This means it can handle serious injuries. In a recent year, Mercy Hospital had over 16,000 patient admissions. It performed over 2,000 inpatient procedures. There were also nearly 4,000 outpatient surgeries. Its emergency department had over 52,000 visits.
The hospital is officially approved by the American Osteopathic Association. This approval comes from their Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program. In 2012, Mercy Hospital was ranked #35 in Illinois. It was also ranked #27 in the Chicago area by U.S. News & World Report.
New Ownership and Future Plans
Insight Chicago, a company focused on medical technology, bought Mercy Hospital. They became the owner on June 1, 2021. The hospital was then renamed Insight Hospital & Medical Center.
Insight Chicago plans to invest $50 million into the hospital. This money will help increase services. It will also help meet the needs of the community. They also plan to bring back Mercy's role as a teaching hospital. This means it will train new doctors.
See also
- John Benjamin Murphy
