Louis A Weiss Mem Hospital

Description

Weiss Memorial Hospital Overview
Weiss Memorial Hospital is a JCAHOaccredited 339bed health care facility providing a full range of health care services Weiss is affiliated with The University of Chicago Medical Center one of the nations finest academic medical networks In June 2002 The University of Chicago Medical Center entered a joint venture with Vanguard Health Systems of Nashville TN for the acquisition of Weiss

Weiss has more than 400 physicians in 26 medical specialties and nearly 1000 employees who speak over 40 languages Striving to be an active community partner Weiss coordinates several outreach programs and support groups Ever changing and growing with the diverse community it serves the hospital offers a unique Patient Advocacy Progam to provide translation services

Weiss Memorial Hospital affiliated with the University of Chicago Medical Center provides a full range of health services to neighborhood residents Located along Chicagos beautiful lakefront Weiss is part of one of the nations finest academic medical systems As a result Weiss patients benefit from technologically advanced diagnostics and effective treatments many times long before they are available elsewhere in a convenient community setting

Weiss is a private forprofit hospital located at 4646 North Marine Drive in Chicago Weiss is conveniently located and easily accessible at Wilson Avenue at Lake Shore Drive Weiss serves a primary service area of more than 600000

History

History of Weiss
Weiss Memorial Hospital is named after Louis A Weiss a successful Chicago businessman who wanted to give back to the neighborhoods in which he flourished

Born in 1897 and later described as a quiet giver Weiss was more concerned with the tangible benefits of helping people than with attaining personal recognition His philanthropic focus centered on the neighborhood where he grew up and marked his business successes When he died in 1949 Weiss left a will that set aside through the LA Weiss Foundation a generous sum for charity with the specification that the funds benefit Chicagos North Side

In 1950 noted political and civic leader Col Jacob M Arvey was instrumental in bringing together members of the Weiss family with members of the Strauss Surgical Group widely known for innovative surgical techniques particularly in the field of cancer Three Strauss brothers physicians Alfred Herman and Siegfried cofounded the hospital with the Weiss family The hospital was intended as a fitting and lasting memorial to the man whose generosity provided the initial seeding gift

Weiss Memorial Hospital broke ground in 1952 and opened the following year with comedian Jimmy Durante as its first registered patient The Strauss Cancer Center named after the Strauss family started 25 years ago as a unique entity in a community hospital to promote the research and treatment of cancer care The Arvey Clinic a teaching facility at Weiss specifically focused on internal medicine is named for Col Jacob M Arvey

In 1987 Weiss merged with the University of Chicago Hospitals now Medical Center with the belief that the integration of hospitals would produce a highly productive medical establishment for the betterment of health and medical education in Chicago and its surroundings The union combined the personalized care of a smaller community hospital with the advancements of a major academic medical center incorporating technology medical education programs and research resulting in the highest quality medical treatment available

A second affiliation agreement in 1992 connected Weiss with the University of Chicago Division of Biological Sciences for the primary purpose of enriching the academic programs at the University of Chicago by increasing the breadth of clinical and academic experience for its medical staff

In 2002 Vanguard Health Systems and the University of Chicago Medical Center formed a joint venture in which Vanguard has an 80 percent ownership and the University of Chicago Medical Center retains a 20 percent stake This agreement continues today with many University of Chicago faculty members practicing at Weiss