Newton-Wellesley Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newton-Wellesley Hospital |
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| Mass General Brigham | |
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Newton-Wellesley Hospital
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| Geography | |
| Location | 2014 Washington St., Newton, Massachusetts, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°19′58.26″N 71°14′46.33″W / 42.3328500°N 71.2462028°W |
| Organization | |
| Hospital type | Nonprofit, Community Teaching |
| Affiliated university | Tufts University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Level II trauma center |
| Beds | 273 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1881 |
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Newton Cottage Hospital Historic District
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One of the hospital's historic buildings
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| Location | 2014 Washington St., Newton, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1894 |
| Architect | Hartwell & Richardson; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Georgian Revival |
| MPS | Newton MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000108 |
| Added to NRHP | February 21, 1990 |
Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH) is a community hospital in Newton, Massachusetts. It also helps teach new doctors. The hospital works with Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. It started in 1881. Part of its campus is a historic place called the Newton Cottage Hospital Historic District.
Newton-Wellesley Hospital is part of Mass General Brigham. This is a group of hospitals that includes Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The hospital offers many types of care. This includes services for new moms, a 24-hour emergency room, and special units for bone problems, serious illnesses, and cancer.
Contents
Hospital History: How it Started
Newton-Wellesley Hospital began in 1881. It was first called Newton Cottage Hospital. A local reverend, George W. Shinn, and Newton's mayor, Royal M. Pulsifer, wanted to help sick people in the community. They bought nine acres of land for the hospital.
The hospital opened on June 5, 1886. Its first patient arrived a week later. A "cottage hospital" was built to serve local people. It had many buildings around a main office. Patients stayed in bright, one-story ward rooms.
Early Medical Care and Learning
In 1888, the hospital started a School of Nursing. The first baby was born there in 1890. By 1965, over 50,000 babies had been born at the hospital. This included the first baby born using in-vitro fertilization.
Newton-Wellesley got its first X-ray machine in 1902. In 1933, it got an electrocardiograph to check hearts. The outpatient department opened in 1910. This department offered many services, each with a specialist doctor. It even had a special service for bone problems.
Growing and Changing Over Time
Many of the hospital's older buildings were built between 1894 and 1908. These buildings are part of the "Newton Cottage Hospital" historic district. Some of these old buildings have been taken down since then.
During World War I and the 1918 flu pandemic, many patients needed help. The hospital put up tents and temporary buildings. In 1920, they started keeping patient records. A lab for blood and urine tests opened in 1924. A blood bank was added in 1939.
The hospital performed its first pacemaker surgery in 1955. In 1993, they did their first cardiac catheterization. The Wikstrom Surgical Center opened in 1993. It has 16 operating rooms and areas for patients before and after surgery. It also has a permanent MRI machine.
Joining a Bigger Team
In 1999, Newton-Wellesley Hospital joined Mass General Brigham. This group was called Partners HealthCare back then. In 2001, it also teamed up with MassGeneral Hospital for Children.
Many new centers were created. These include the Spine Center (2001), the Waltham Urgent Care Center (2003), and the Maxwell Blum Emergency Pavilion (2007). Construction for the Vernon Cancer Center began in 2008.
Hospital Today: What it Offers
Newton-Wellesley Hospital has 273 beds for patients. More than 21,000 patients are admitted and leave the hospital each year. About 56,000 people visit the emergency room every year. Over 3,700 babies are born there annually. Around 14,000 surgeries are performed each year. The hospital employs about 2,500 people.
The main hospital is at 2014 Washington Street in Newton, Massachusetts. It is close to major roads. You can also get there by public transport. The closest MBTA stop is Woodland. It is two blocks from the hospital.
There is also an urgent care center in Waltham, MA. It is located at 9 Hope Avenue. The hospital also has lab services in other towns like Natick, Walpole, Waltham, and Weston.
Awards and Recognitions
Newton-Wellesley Hospital has received many awards.
- The Boston Globe named it a Top Place to Work in 2010 and 2011.
- U.S. News Media & World Report said it was high-performing in Urology in 2011-12.
- It was recognized for Bariatric Surgery in 2011.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts gave it a Blue Distinction Designation for spine surgery in 2011.
- Its cancer care partner, New England Hematology/Oncology Associates, was recognized for quality.
- The hospital received awards from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for stroke and heart disease treatment.
- Many doctors from Newton-Wellesley were on the "Best Doctors in America" list for 2011-12.
- It was recognized for excellent surgical patient care by the American College of Surgeons.
- Boston magazine featured Newton-Wellesley as a top community hospital in 2010.
Specialized Care Centers
Newton-Wellesley has several special centers:
- The Auerbach Breast Center
- The Center for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery
- The Center for Weight Loss Surgery
- The Kaplan Center for Joint Reconstruction Surgery
- The Manton Women's Imaging Center
- The Spine Center
- The Vernon Cancer Center
Famous People Born Here
- Actor Jack Lemmon was born in an elevator at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in 1925!
- Actors Matt LeBlanc and B. J. Novak were also born at the hospital.
Fun Facts from the Early Years
- It cost $3,600 for the land and $7,209 to build the first hospital.
- Only 26 patients were cared for in 1886, the first year it opened.
- Chickens and cows lived at the hospital! They provided fresh milk and eggs for patients and staff. There were also large gardens.
- The first gift of money the hospital received was $250 in 1886.
- In 1961, the hospital started using electronic paging systems. This was thanks to money raised at a Valentine's Day Ball.
Nursing School: Rules for Nurses
- In 1888, nursing students had to be between 23 and 35 years old.
- They were not allowed to talk to any men inside the hospital gates.
- Their uniform included a special gingham dress, a white collar and cuffs, a white cap, and a white apron.
- The School of Nursing closed in 1986. It had trained almost 3,500 nurses in 100 years.
Then and Now: How Things Have Changed
- In the early years, patients stayed about four weeks. Today, the average stay is less than four days.
- Only three babies were born at the hospital in 1890. Today, over 3,900 babies are born there every year.
- When it opened, Newton-Wellesley was one of about 500 hospitals in the country. Today, there are over 7,500 hospitals nationwide.
Hospital by the Numbers
- Newton-Wellesley was the first community hospital in Massachusetts to offer PET/CT scans. These are special imaging tests.
- More than 1,000 doctors work with Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
- The hospital's lab performs over 1.3 million tests every year.
- In 2012, the hospital had 273 licensed beds. They had over 19,500 patient discharges and 3,740 deliveries.
- In 2005, a 100-year-old building, the Ellison Building, was moved! It weighed 890 tons and was moved 220 feet to a new spot.
- In 2011, the hospital's charity group held a "HopeWalks" event. It raised over $215,000 for cancer care.
See also
