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Description

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As Northeastern Pennsylvanias largest community hospital WilkesBarre General Hospital is home to an array of stateoftheart quotsignaturequot services that define its role as the regions leader in primary and specialty care The hospital boasts an impressive medical staff of over 400 physicians representing nearly 50 medical and surgical specialties It is also home to Luzerne countys largest workforce with over 2000 highly skilled and dedicated employees With its commitment to the very latest treatment methodologies the hospital provides its patients with access to the most progressive medical techniques and technologies available in Northeastern Pennsylvania
Over its 130year history WilkesBarre General Hospital has consistently expanded its horizons to improve its facilities and invest in programs services and technologies that best meet the health care needs of its patients For instance in the fall of 2001 all acute care services previously offered at the Nesbitt Memorial Hospital in Kingston including Obstetrics and Gynecology were consolidated at WilkesBarre General Hospital In the new and expanded WilkesBarre General Hospital location the newly named Nesbitt Womens and Childrens Center continues the long standing tradition of providing area families with outstanding maternity care

WilkesBarre General Hospital is home to
The regions leading cardiac care program at its Heart and Vascular
Institute as demonstrated by

Wyoming Valleys only two cardiac catheterization quotswingquot labs

A busy and highly regarded open heart surgery program averaging over 600
procedures annually

A cardiac telemetry unit cardiac care unit and cardiothoracic intensive
care unit all boasting highly skilled cardiac nurse specialists

Highly skilled surgeons and experienced interventional cardiologists

The regions most comprehensive oncology program as evidenced by

Approval of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer in
recognition of the most advanced techniques and technology

A multidisciplinary approach that incorporates a crosssection of medical
specialties led by highly skilled medical and radiation oncologists
surgeons and nurse specialists

A partnership with the Penn State Cancer Institute in Hershey

Northeastern Pennsylvanias only Gamma Knife Center

More than 12000 advanced surgical procedures performed annually many of
which are performed minimally invasively by our surgeons at our Center for
Advanced Surgery

24hour emergency care including advanced cardiac support

The Nesbitt Womens and Childrens Center where nearly 1500 newborns are
delivered each year

An impressive pediatrics program which includes a partnership with the
Pediatric Specialists of Penn State Childrens Hospital

A hemodialysis center that provides vital ongoing care for patients with
kidney disorders

As a regional medical center and the regions leading health resource WilkesBarre General Hospital is well positioned to provide Northeastern Pennsylvania residents with the very best available medical care well into the future

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History

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WILKESBARRE GENERAL HOSPITAL
1870 DOCTORING UP THE COMMUNITY
Nine WilkesBarre physicians meet and claim that the town and outlying areas need BETTER surgical and medical care


1872 INSPIRATION BY ACCIDENT
Several coal mining accidents occur and a number of miners die because of insufficient medical care This unfortunate episode prompts the community to hasten their efforts to create a hospital

1872 THE GROUND FLOOR
A group of leading WilkesBarre citizens meet in the home of exGovernor Henry M Hoyt Their mission to lay the groundwork for construction of a new WilkesBarre hospital

1875 REAL ESTATE MAKES IT ALL REAL
John W Hollenback a successful local business leader donates 4 acres of land for the site of the new hospital This land on River Street is the hospitals site to this very day Construction begins

1876 OPEN WITH A VIEW TOWARD EXCELLENT HEALTH CARE
WilkesBarre City Hospital officially opens Community residents herald its quotcommanding view of the most interesting part of Wyoming Valleyquot

1887 NURSING THE COMMUNITY
The hospitals Nurse Training School opens and offers a threeyear course of study

1902 XRAYS MARK THE SPOT
The hospital opens an Xray department During the first year of operation the unit admits 72 patients for quotradiographsquot

1920 GROWING UPWITHOUT GROWING PAINS
By now the hospital has grown into several new buildings consisting of patient wards medical services and a prominent nursing school Volunteers spearheaded by the Ladies Auxiliary otherwise known as The Board of Managers are responsible for much of the ongoing growth and activity

1925 THE GENERAL ARRIVES
The hospital officially changes its name to that for which it has been known for over 80 years WilkesBarre General Hospital

1959 NEWER BIGGER BETTER
The hospitals original and now obsolete buildings are razed In their place a single modern hospital structure is erected Among the new facilities is a Poison Control Center

1963 GONE FISSION
The Nuclear Medicine Department is opened

1964 INTENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
Intensive Care and Electroencephalogram units are opened

1966 CORONARY CARE FOR YOU
The Chest Clinic and a Coronary Care Unit are opened

1968 EMERGENCE OF THE ER
The hospital adds a 24hour Emergency Room

1970 BUILDING UPON SUCCESS
The hospitals administrative departments are expanded and modernized Another major building phase begins

1972 INUNDATED BECAUSE OF THE FLOOD
The hospital serves as a major hub for disaster relief after flood waters from Hurricane Agnes inundate the community People pour in for a wide range of treatments including typhoid and tetanus inoculation

1974 FIRST IN CANCER CARE
The Cancer Treatment Center opens and the nursing school graduates its final class

1981 THE BEST IN THE EAST
The East Tower is opened

1984 THE CENTER OF IT ALL
The Center for Intensive Care amp Surgery a threefloor 45000 squarefoot addition to the hospitals north side is opened

1987 THE HOSPITAL WITH HEART
Introduction of the hospitals Cardiac Surgery program which later comes The Heart and Vascular Institute

1992 MERGER
WilkesBarre General Hospital and Nesbitt Memorial Hospital merge to form Wyoming Valley Health Care System

2001 TRANSITION OF SERVICES
All acute care services at Nesbitt Memorial Hospital including labor and delivery the nursery and pediatrics relocate to an expanded and improved Nesbitt Womens and Childrens Center at WilkesBarre General Hospital

2006 THE FACE OF HEALTH CARE CHANGES QUICKLY
Three major initiatives are unveiled

The Wyoming Valley Health Care System Foundation is
formed with the goal of raising 100 million from
businesses and private individuals

The Center for Advanced Surgery at WilkesBarre
General Hospital the regions most advanced
minimally invasive surgery program is formed

IMRIS the worlds first dualuse interoperative
MRI becomes part of the Center for Advanced
Surgerys leading edge technology