Lenox Hill Hospital

Lenox Hill Hospital, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, is a 652-bed, acute care hospital and a major teaching affiliate of NYU Medical Center. Founded in 1857 as the German Dispensary, today's 10-building Lenox Hill Hospital complex has occupied its present site since 1868 when it opened as the German Hospital. Lenox Hill Hospital is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, on a city block bounded on the north and south by 77th and 76th Streets, and on the west and east by Park and Lexington Avenues. It is two blocks east of Central Park, is convenient to New York City's public transportation system and within easy walking distance of many cultural attractions. The New York City Subway Station that is situated on the same block bears Lenox Hill Hospital's name.

In 2007, the prestigious Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital (MEETH) was incorporated into Lenox Hill Hospital. Current President/CEO is Gladys George.

History
On January 19th, 1857, the German Dispensary, later renamed Lenox Hill Hospital, was founded. On May 28th, the facility opened to the public at 132 Canal Street. In 1862, the German Dispensary moved to larger quarters at 8 East Third Street to accommodate the 10,000 patients it treated each year. The hospital continued to grow and in 1862, the new German Hospital and Dispensary opened at Fourth Avenue (Park Avenue) and 77th Street. In July of 1918, the German Hospital was renamed Lenox Hill Hospital. In 1887, the hospital opened its nurses training school with four young German American women forming the first class. Until then, nursing attendants and charge nurses had been brought over from Germany. In 1943, the hospital sent it’s medical unit to England to maintain station hospitals for military personnel. Throughout the remainder of World War II, Lenox Hill Hospital staff members serve in all war theaters, including combat forces in the European theater of operations after D-day to the present day War in Iraq. A few years earlier, renowned wartime leader, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain, was treated at Lenox Hill Hospital for serious injuries suffered when he was hit by a car while crossing Park Avenue. On Lenox Hill Hospital’s 100th anniversary, he wrote,”I well remember the admirable care and attention I received…” The hospital became a leading innovator in medical care, developing and implementing many standards and practices that would later become indispensable components of modern medicine. In 1897, the hospital installed one of the first X-ray machines in America. Ten years later,the hospital established the first physical therapy department in country. In response to what was becoming a growing public health threat, Lenox Hill Hospital was the first general hospital in the United States to open a tuberculosis division. In 1973, the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma becomes the first hospital-based center in the nation for the study of sports medicine.

Early on, Lenox Hill Hospital established itself as one of the nation’s leading hospitals for cardiac care. In 1938, the first angiocardiograph in the country was performed at Lenox Hill Hospital, and in 1955 the hospital becomes one of the first in New York City to open a cardiac catheterization laboratory. 10 years later, the hospital opened the first cardiac care unit in the metropolitan New York area. In 1978 the first coronary angioplasty in the country performed at Lenox Hill Hospital. In 1994, Lenox Hill Hospital surgeons pioneered minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery and in 2000, Lenox Hill Hospital was the first in the United States to perform endoscopic radial artery harvesting.In 2003, the first FDA approved drug coated stent in the nation was implanted at Lenox Hill Hospital. Lenox Hill Hospital is also one of first hospitals in the nation to acquire a state-of-the-art robotic cardiac system - which allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive heart bypass surgery. In 2000, Lenox Hill Hospital became the sponsor of Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, an internationally renowned specialty hospital. Continuing its tradition of care during times of crisis, Lenox Hill Hospital assembled a disaster team to care for casualties of the September 11th terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. Emergency crews were sent to Ground Zero and supply runs to the area were conducted to aid the rescue workers. The hospital set up a free walk-in Crisis Counseling Center, staffed by the hospital’s psychiatrists and therapists and the blood donor center was expanded to accommodate the thousands of people who came to the hospital to give blood. In 2007, Lenox Hill Hospital celebrated its 150th anniversary, and expanded it's dedication to the New York City community by opening a brand new, state of the art Emergency Department, the Anne and Isidore Falk Center for Emergency Care at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Medical Milestones
Many important milestones in the advancement of medical knowledge have been made at Lenox Hill Hospital, including:

 Introduction of antiseptic methods in obstetrics Installation of one of the first X-ray machines in America in 1897 First tuberculosis pavilion in any American hospital First hemophilia center Introduction of the technique for bone marrow examination in 1931  Development of the specialty of thoracic surgery  First successful esophagectomy for carcinoma  First surgical treatment of undescended testicles</li> First angiocardiogram in the United States</li> First coronary angioplasty in the United States</li> Implantation of the first drug-eluting stent in the United States</li> </ul>

Many medical pioneers were early members of Lenox Hill Hospital's attending staff. Among them were:

<ul> Willy Meyer, M.D. - performed some of the earliest pulmonary surgery in America </li> Abraham Jacobi, M.D. - the father of American Pediatrics</li> Leo Buerger, M.D. - described the disease that bears his name</li> Carl Eggers,M.D., and Dewitt Stetten, M.D. - founding members of the American College of Surgeons</li> Franz Torek, M.D. - performed the first successful esophagectomy for carcinoma and also developed the surgical treatment of undescended testicles</li> William H. Stewart, M.D. - a former director of Radiology, performed the first angiocardiogram in the United States in 1938. </li> Simon Stertzer, M.D - performed the first coronary angioplasty in the United States on March 1, 1978</li> </ul>

Today
Lenox Hill Hospital today provides a wide range of inpatient medical/surgical, obstetric, pediatric and psychiatric services. The Hospital has both primary care and specialty outpatient clinics, an ambulance service and an emergency department. Special programs and services include interventional cardiology and a cardiovascular surgery program that are among the busiest and most highly regarded in this region; a New York State-designated AIDS center program; a high risk neonatal care service; an active obstetric service; a growing ambulatory surgery program; a growing renal dialysis service; and a community health education and outreach program. Other licensed services include cystoscopy, diagnostic radiology services including CT and MRI scanning, nuclear medicine, and therapeutic radiology. Licensed outpatient services include primary care medicine, pediatrics, prenatal care and family planning, physical therapy, audiology, speech/language pathology, and social work. The Hospital is licensed to provide both inpatient and outpatient adult mental health services. Its active ambulance service has as its primary territory 59th Street to 96th Street, from Central Park to the East River. Approximately 325,000 people a year receive care at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Timeline
<ul> 1857: On January 19th the German Dispensary, later renamed Lenox Hill Hospital, was founded.</li> 1857: On May 28th, the facility opened to the public at 132 Canal Street.</li> 1862: The German Dispensary moved to larger quarters at 8 East Third Street to accommodate the 10,000 patients it treated each year.</li> 1868: The new German Hospital and Dispensary opened at Fourth Avenue (Park Avenue) and 77th Street.</li> 1887: The hospital opened its nurses training school with four young German- American women forming the first class. Until then, nursing attendants and charge nurses had been brought over from Germany.</li> 1897: The hospital installed one of the first X-ray machines in America.</li> <li>1907: First physical therapy department in country established at Lenox Hill.</li> <li>1908: The hospital was the first general hospital in the United States to open a tuberculosis division.</li> <li>1918: In July, the German Hospital was renamed Lenox Hill Hospital.</li> <li>1931: Renowned wartime leader, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain, was treated at Lenox Hill Hospital for serious injuries suffered when he was hit by a car while crossing Park Avenue. On Lenox Hill Hospital’s 100th anniversary, he wrote,”I well remember the admirable care and attention I received…”</li> <li>1933: The hospital establishes a maternity service, opens a cancer clinic, and makes final preparations for the debut of its heart clinic.</li> <li>1938: The first angiocardiography in the country was performed at Lenox Hill Hospital.</li> <li>1943: The hospital’s medical unit arrived in England to maintain station hospitals for military personnel. Throughout the remainder of World War II, Lenox Hill Hospital staff members serve in all war theaters, including combat forces in the European theater of operations after D-day.</li> <li>1955: Lenox Hill Hospital is one of the first hospitals in New York City to open a cardiac catheterization laboratory.</li> <li>1957: The hospital created one of the first intensive care units in New York City.</li> <li>1967: The hospital opened the first cardiac care unit in the metropolitan New York area.</li> <li>1973: The Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, the first hospital-based center in the nation for the study of sports medicine, is established under the leadership of Dr. James Nicholas, then the hospital’s director of Orthopedic Surgery.</li> <li>1975: The Neonatal Critical Care Unit is opened at the hospital.</li> <li>1978: First coronary angioplasty in the country performed at Lenox Hill Hospital.</li> <li>1984: The Irma and Abram Croll Endoscopy Center opened.</li> <li>1989: The hospital established the first Lyme Disease Center in New York City.</li> <li>1990: The Hess Interventional Cardiology Center, one of the most technically advanced facilities in the metropolitan area, opened.</li> <li>1991: Lenox Hill Hospital doctors implanted the first coronary stent in New York City.</li> <li>1993: Lenox Hill Hospital became a major teaching affiliate of NYU Medical Center.</li> <li>1994: Lenox Hill Hospital surgeons pioneered minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery. </li> <li>1994: The hospital established the Center for Total Joint Replacement.</li> <li>2000: Lenox Hill Hospital was the first in the United States to perform endoscopic radial artery harvesting.</li> <li>2000: Lenox Hill Hospital is one of first hospitals in the nation to acquire a state-of-the-art robotic cardiac system - which allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive heart bypass surgery.</li> <li>2000: Lenox Hill Hospital became the sponsor of Manhattan, Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, an internationally renowned specialty hospital. </li> <li>2001: Lenox Hill Hospital assembled a disaster team to care for casualties of the September 11th terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. Emergency crews were sent to Ground Zero and supply runs to the area were conducted to aid the rescue workers. The hospital set up a free walk-in Crisis Counseling Center, staffed by the hospital’s psychiatrists and therapists and the blood donor center was expanded to accommodate the thousands of people who came to the hospital to give blood.</li> <li>2003: First FDA approved drug coated stent in the nation was implaned at Lenox Hill Hospital. </li> <li>2003: The Morris and Alma Schapiro Medical Intensive Care Unit Opens.</li> <li>2005: Largest minimally invasive heart assist program in tri-state area ; second nationally at Lenox Hill Hospital.</li> <li>2006: Lenox Hill Hospital opened the new, expanded radiology center with the only SPECT-CT in the North eastern United States, which allows physicians to see inside the body in great detail, and a new 64 slice CT scanner - one of the most highly advanced computerized imaging technologies available today. </li> <li>2007: Anne & Isidore Falk Center for Emergency Care at Lenox Hill Hospital opens, marking the expansion of the $20-million fund-raising campaign to double the size of the Emergency Department; reconfigure the layout to expedite registration, assessment and treatment; acquire advanced lifesaving equipment and technology; enhance its ambulance service; and construct new isolation and contamination rooms for disaster preparedness.</li> <li>2007: Lenox Hill Hospital celebrates it’s 150th anniversary.</li> </ul>