Blodgett Hospital

History

Blodgett Hospital History
Blodgett Memorial Medical Center began in 1846 with a small group of women who wanted to ease the human suffering they saw around them in the village of Grand Rapids Headed by Mrs Charlotte Cuming and Mrs ME Church a formal constitution was signed thus creating The Female Union Charitable Association This association was designed to bring kindness and healing to residents in the area and was housed in a oneandahalf story quotcottagequot near the corner of LaGrave and Oakes Streets

In 1869 a large plot of land on the corner of College and Lyon was given to the society by Mrs Mary G Wood Despite the gift of land the society could not afford to build on it Instead they rented a tenement on Fountain Street to carry out their work

As the society continued to flourish the women felt the need to have a building which would accommodate the sick old and unhealthy In 1873 the society shortened their name to the Union Benevolent Association UBA and allowed men to participate for the first time With the addition of men the society could afford an old house on the west side of Bostwick south of Lyon In December 1874 the restored house was reborn as the Union Benevolent Association Home housing 25 people

After 12 successful years in the small house the society proposed building a bigger more healthoriented facility With several donations and contributions from the now populous city of Grand Rapids a Victorian building was erected on the plot of land given to the society By 1895 two operating rooms obstetrics and a childrens ward helped evolve the UBA into a fullfledged hospital

In May 1914 John Blodgett Sr and his wife Minnie Cumnock Blodgett donated both land and money to build a new fivestory 126bed UBA Hospital The property on Plymouth Road at Wealthy Street Sherman Street would be added later would become the Blodgett Memorial Hospital as a tribute to John Blodgetts late mother Jane Wood Blodgett

Achievements
1916
Blodgett Hospital is established at the current location of the Spectrum Health Blodgett Campus

1920
The first plastic surgery training program in the country is established by Blodgett

1921
Nationally recognized medical education program is launched and the first interns come on staff at Blodgett

1933
The second orthopedic residency program in the United States is founded by Blodgett

1949
25 beds are added

1951
331 beds are added Housing is provided for interns and their families

1953
130 beds are added

1973
A threestory professional building and fourlevel parking ramp are added The hospital is rechristened as Blodgett Memorial Medical Center

18861987
Blodgetts nursing school the second to open in the state operated for 101 years

1989
A 4 million twostory office facility for 25 doctors at Breton Road and 44th Street is built

Clinical Achievements
1916
The first surgeryan emergency appendectomy on a freshman student nurseis performed at the newly finished Blodgett Hospital

1920
First pediatrics service is offered at Blodgett

1930
Mary Free Bed Hospital is established The idea originated as a public appeal asking anyone in Grand Rapids who had a Mary in their family to give 10 cents in support of one quotfree bedquot

1948
West Michigans first successful aortic splice is performed

1959
First openheart surgery ever performed in this area is completed successfully

1976
The first electron microscope in Grand Rapids is installed

1979
The West Michigan Burn Unit is dedicated

1980
The Reyes Syndrome Treatment Team is organized

1981
The first surgical laser is purchased

1983
The first microvascular reconstructive surgery is performed

1983
West Michigans first invitro fertilization is performed

1985
Cardiac catheterization lab is opened

1986
The first freestanding outpatient surgery facility in Grand Rapids is opened

1986
The first hypothermia treatment for cancer is performed

1987
A new ultrasound probe is purchased to screen for prostate cancer

1988
The first angioplasty in West Michigan is performed

1988
The Western Michigan Arthritis Institute is formed by Blodgett

1989
The Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit the first of its kind in the city is opened

1989
Somotom Plus is installed a 3D CAT scan

1991
Digital angiography is introduced

1992
The first nuclear imaging triplehead SPECT camera is installed

1992
Reed City Hospital and Ferguson Hospital merge with Blodgett Hospital