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On May 11, 1751 the Pennsylvania legislature granted a charter to Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond to establish a hospital to care for the sick-poor and mentally ill of Philadelphia. Shortly afterwards, in 1752, the first (temporary) building was opened on High (now Market) Street. Elizabeth Gardner (a Quaker widow) was appointed Matron.
In 1755 the cornerstone was laid for the East Wing of what would become the hospital’s permanent location at 8th and Pine. Patients were first admitted to the permanent hospital in 1756. The site continued to grow through the years with the addition of more wings (such as the West Wing of the building which was built in 1796) and buildings, extra land and further expansion.
The hospital gained a reputation as a center of innovation and medical advancement, particularly in the area of maternity. In its early years it was also known for its particularly advanced and humane facilities for mentally ill patients (at a time when mental illness was very poorly understood and patients were often treated very badly).
In 1950 Pennsylvania Hospital was recognized for becoming more highly specialized as it established, in addition to its sophisticated maternity programs, an intensive care unit for neurological patients, a coronary care unit, an orthopaedic institute, a diabetes center, a hospice, specialized units in oncologyPlease refer to cancer for the biology of malignant disease, as well as a list of malignant diseases. Oncology is the medical study and treatment of cancer. A physician who practices oncology is an oncologist''. The term is from the Greek onkos meaning bu and urologyUrology is the field of medicine that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and of the male reproductive system. It is "multidisciplinary" in that the discipline includes management of "medical" (ie. non-surgical) problems such as urinary in and broadened surgical programs.
The hospital was also a center through the years for treating the war wounded. Patients were brought to the hospital for treatment in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and the Spanish American War and units from the hospital were sent abroad to treat wounded in World War IWorld War I (also known as the First World War , the Great War the War of the Nations and the "War to End All Wars") was a world conflict occurring from 1914 to 1918. No previous conflict had mobilized so many soldiers, or involved so many in the field of and in World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough (to the Pacific theater).
The seal of the hospital, chosen by Franklin and Bond, incorporates the story of the Good Samaritan and the phrase "Take Care of Him and I will repay Thee" is used on it.
In 1997 Pennsylvania Hospital's Board of Managers made the decision to merge with the University of Pennsylvania Health System. The large Health System helps to support the formerly stand-alone hospital with its vast network of resources.
In 2001 Pennsylvania Hospital celebrated its 250th anniversary. It continues to be a center of innovation and excellence in medicine.
In 1762 the first book for the hospital's Medical Library was donated by Dr. John Fothergill, a British friend of Franklin's. The library would continue to grow and in 1847 the American Medical Association designated the library as the first, largest, and most important medical library in the United States. It is still a repository for historic books and journal collections, with works dating from 1483 to 1930.
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