Health Guide USA Commentary: Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Our Trusted Link for May, 2022

The Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (ranked #13 by U.S. News among Best Hospitals) consists of several merged hospitals and facilities in central Philadelphia, including the Pennsylvania Hospital, the Perelman School of Medicine (at University of Pennsylvania), and Presbyterian Hospital.

Pennsylvania Hospital was founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. It's one of the earliest public hospitals in the U.S.

Its main building, dating to 1756, is a National Historic Landmark.
It established the first U.S. medical library in 1762.
An early maternity ward was established there in 1803, and in the 20th century, many obstetrical landmarks occurred.
It houses the first U.S. surgical amphitheater, created in 1804.

From Wikipedia: "Pennsylvania Hospital gained a reputation as a center of innovation and medical advancement, particularly in the area of maternity. It was a teaching hospital from its very beginning, when [founder Dr. Thomas] Bond would lead rounds.... In its early years it was also known for its particularly advanced and humane facilities for mentally ill patients.... [War-wounded] patients were brought to the hospital... in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and units... were sent abroad... in World War I and II."

Perelman School of Medicine

The nation's first medical school, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine opened in 1765. In 1874, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania was established as the nation's first teaching hospital. A donation led to its renaming as Perelman School of Medicine in 2011.

U.S. News ranked it the 6th best Medical School for Research in 2022-23, tied with Duke University. It's ranked #1 for Pediatrics, #3 in Radiology and in Obstetrics/Gynecology, #4 for Internal Medicine and in Surgery, and #6 for Psychiatry.

Important milestones:

First vaccination for pneumonia
Introduction of total intravenous feeding
Pioneering work in radiology
Co-discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome, showing connection between genetic abnormalities and cancer
Early programs in dermatology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, radiology, and organ transplantation.

Presbyterian Hospital ("Presby") was founded by Reverend Ephraim D. Saunders in 1871 and formally joined the University of Pennsylvania Health System in 1995. In 1887, its School of Nursing was founded. Its contributions to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center also include the Philadelphia Heart Institute, the Scheie Eye Institute and Penn Orthopedics.

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