Provident Hospital (Chicago) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Provident Hospital of Cook County |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Geography | |
| Location | 550 E. 51st Street Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Organization | |
| Funding | Public hospital |
| Hospital type | Community, Teaching |
| Affiliated university | Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and Midwestern University |
| Network | Cook County Hospital System |
| History | |
| Founded | 1891 as Provident Hospital and Training School Reopened in 1993 as Provident Hospital of Cook County |
| Closed | 1987-1993 |
Provident Hospital of Cook County is a special hospital in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first hospital in America owned and run by African Americans. Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, an African-American surgeon, started it in 1891. At that time, it was very hard for African Americans to get medical care or training. Provident Hospital changed that.
Hospital History
Provident Hospital was created to offer health care and medical training. It was important because it welcomed everyone, no matter their race.
- It was the first private hospital in Illinois to offer training for African-American doctors.
- It was the first to start a nursing school for African-American women.
- It also offered advanced training for doctors.
In 1893, something amazing happened at Provident Hospital. Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first documented heart surgery. This was a huge step forward in medicine!
The original Provident Hospital closed in 1987 because of money problems. But it reopened in 1993 as part of the Cook County Hospital System. Today, it is known as Provident Hospital of Cook County. It continues to help people on Chicago's South Side.
Famous People
Some well-known people have connections to Provident Hospital:
- Alton Abraham, who worked with the musician Sun Ra, worked at Provident.
- Michelle Obama, who later became the First Lady of the United States, was born at Provident in 1964.
