Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is a teaching hospital A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients. They are generally affiliated with medical schools or universities , and may be owned by a university or may form part of a wider regional or of Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. It is currently ranked first among American research medical schools by U.S. News and World Report and a biomedical research Biomedical research , in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research, applied research, or translational research conducted to aid and support the body of knowledge in the field of medicine. Medical research can be divided into two general categories: the evaluation of new treatments for both safety and efficacy in what are facility in Boston Boston (pronounced /ˈbɒstən/ ) is the capital and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. Boston city proper had a 2009, Massachusetts Massachusetts has been significant throughout American history. Plymouth was the second permanent English settlement in North America. Many of Massachusetts's towns were founded by colonists from England in the 1620s and 1630s. During the eighteenth century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there that led. It is ranked as one of the top five hospitals in the USA.
It is owned and operated by Partners HealthCare (which also owns Brigham and Women's Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital of Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Boston, Massachusetts and is directly adjacent to Harvard Medical School of which it is the second largest teaching affiliate. With Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School's largest teaching affiliate, it is one of the two founding members of and North Shore Medical Center). MGH is part of the consortium A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal of hospitals which operates Boston MedFlight and is a member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.
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History
Founded in 1811, the original hospital was designed by the famous American architect Charles Bulfinch. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language, and the largest in New England In one of the earliest European settlements in North America, Pilgrims from England first settled in New England in 1620, to form Plymouth Colony. Ten years later, the Puritans settled north of Plymouth Colony in Boston, thus forming Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. In the late 18th century, the New England colonies would be among the first North. John Warren, Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at Harvard Medical School, which was located in Cambridge then, spearheaded the move of the medical school to Boston. Warren's son, John Collins Warren, along with James Jackson, led the efforts to start the Massachusetts General Hospital. Since all those who had sufficient money were cared for at home, Massachusetts General Hospital, like most hospitals that were founded in the 19th century, was intended to care for the poor. [1] During mid- to late-1800s, Harvard Medical School was located adjacent to Massachusetts General Hospital.
The first American hospital social workers were based in the hospital.[2]
The hospital's work with developing specialized computer software systems for medical use in the 1960s lead to the development of the MUMPS MUMPS , or alternatively M, is a programming language created in the late 1960s, originally for use in the healthcare industry. It was designed for the production of multi-user database-driven applications. It predates C and most other popular languages in current usage, and has very different syntax and terminology programming language, which stands for "Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System", an important programming language and data-base system heavily used in medical applications such as patient records and billing. A major patient database system called File Manager, which was developed by the Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense. With a total 2009 budget of about $87.6 billion, VA employs nearly 280,000 people at hundreds of Veterans (now the Department of Veterans' Affairs), was created using this language.
Early use of anesthesia
Monument in Boston commemorating Morton's demonstration of ether's anesthetic use.It was in the Ether Dome The Ether Dome was the operating room in the Bulfinch Building at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It was a place where early use of ether was demonstrated to the public. The first such demonstration in Boston occurred on 16 October 1846 when William Thomas Green Morton, a local dentist, used ether as an anesthetic for surgical procedures, of MGH on October 16, 1846 that one of the first demonstrations of ether Diethyl ether, also known simply as ether, is the organic compound with the formula 2O. It is a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a low boiling point and a characteristic odor. It is the most common member of a class of chemical compounds known generically as ethers. It is a common solvent and was once used as a general anesthetic. Ether was presented to the medical profession to produce insensibility to pain by William Thomas Green Morton, a Boston dentist. An operation was performed on that date to remove a blood vessel tumor from the neck of a Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, a nexus of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Notably, Cambridge is home to two internationally prominent universities, Harvard University and the Massachusetts printer, William Abbott. The MGH Chief of Surgery, John Collins Warren performed the surgery and remarked "Gentlemen this is no humbug." News of the remarkable "new" invention rapidly traveled around the world. The actual first documented use of ether Diethyl ether, also known simply as ether, is the organic compound with the formula 2O. It is a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a low boiling point and a characteristic odor. It is the most common member of a class of chemical compounds known generically as ethers. It is a common solvent and was once used as a general anesthetic. Ether to render a patient unconscious prior to surgery was performed on March 30, 1842, by Dr. Crawford Long Crawford Williamson Long was an American physician and pharmacist best known for his early use of diethyl ether as an anesthetic of Danielsville, Georgia. The term anesthesia was suggested for the insensible state by Oliver Wendell Holmes Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. , was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table (1858). He is, then a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. A modern anesthesia department was established at the hospital in 1936 under the leadership of Henry Knowles Beecher. The Ether Dome still exists and is open to the public. It is one of the oldest operating theaters in existence. It contains a remarkable painting of the event by Warren and Lucia Prosperi.
Current operations
The hospital has 905 beds and admits over 45,000 patients each year. The surgical staff performs over 34,000 operations yearly. The obstetrics Obstetrics is the surgical specialty dealing with the care of women and their children during pregnancy (prenatal period), childbirth and the postnatal period. Midwifery is the non-surgical equivalent. Veterinary obstetrics is the same concept for veterinary medicine. Almost all modern obstetricians are also gynaecologists service handles over 3,500 births each year. The hospital handles over 1 million outpatients each year at its main campus, as well as its seven satellite facilities in Boston at Back Bay, Charlestown, Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Waltham and Danvers. Architect Hisham N. Ashkouri Hisham N. Ashkouri is a Boston and New York-based architect, working in conjunction with Hoskins Scott Taylor and Partners, provided the space designs and schematics for the pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, and in-patient related floors, as well as the third floor surgical suites and support facilities.
In 2003, MGH was named the state's first Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association The American Nurses Association is a professional organization to advance and protect the profession of nursing. It started in 1896 as the Nurses Associated Almunae and was renamed the American Nurses Association in 1911. It is based in Silver Spring, Maryland and Rebecca M. Patton is the current President. Magnet recognition represents the highest honor awarded for nursing excellence.
In the fall of 2004, the Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care (named for Jean R. Yawkey) opened. This 440,000-square-foot (41,000 m2) ten-floor facility is the largest and most comprehensive outpatient A patient is any person who receives medical attention, care, or treatment. The person is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician or other health care professional, although one who is visiting a physician for a routine check-up may also be viewed as a patient building in New England In one of the earliest European settlements in North America, Pilgrims from England first settled in New England in 1620, to form Plymouth Colony. Ten years later, the Puritans settled north of Plymouth Colony in Boston, thus forming Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. In the late 18th century, the New England colonies would be among the first North.
File:Mghbulfinch.jpg Bulfinch building, featuring Ether Dome The Ether Dome was the operating room in the Bulfinch Building at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It was a place where early use of ether was demonstrated to the public. The first such demonstration in Boston occurred on 16 October 1846 when William Thomas Green Morton, a local dentist, used ether as an anesthetic for surgical procedures,With more than 10,000 employees, the hospital is the largest non-governmental employer in Boston. It is sometimes jokingly described as "The Medical-Industrial Complex Military-industrial complex is an emergent process between politics and businesses that causes and is caused by wars, businesses who create military weapons, and propaganda funded by such politics and businesses to increase the demand for such wars and weapons so they can be paid to increase the supply."
Massachusetts General Hospital is affiliated with Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. It is currently ranked first among American research medical schools by U.S. News and World Report and is its original teaching hospital. Together they form an academic health science center. MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with an annual research budget of more than $400 million.
Recently, in February 2009, the Phillip T. and Susan M. Ragon Institute of immunology was founded to bolster research into creating vaccines and other therapies for acquired immune system conditions, chiefly AIDS. It is the largest single gift ($100 million evenly divided over 10 years) to MGH and one of the largest ever to Harvard University as a whole.
Though it has its own chief of psychiatry and top ranking department, MGH is closely affiliated with nearby McLean Hospital McLean Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, a psychiatric hospital also affiliated with Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. It is currently ranked first among American research medical schools by U.S. News and World Report.
It consistently ranks as one of the country's top hospitals in U.S. News and World Report U.S. News & World Report is an American newsmagazine published in Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek, it has been for many years a leading news weekly, although it focused more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories. It is particularly well known for its ranking system and annual reports on. In 2007, Massachusetts General Hospital ranked 5th overall from among 5,462 medical centers with a #1 ranking in psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders—which include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual disorders. The term was first coined by the German physician Johann Christian Reil in 1808. It literally means the 'medical treatment of the mind' . A medical doctor specializing in[3] as well as high rankings in endocrinology Endocrinology is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions called hormones, the integration of developmental events such as proliferation, growth, and differentiation (including histogenesis and organogenesis) and the coordination of metabolism, respiration, excretion, movement,, orthopedics Orthopedics is the study of the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic doctors specialize in diagnosis and treatment of problems of the musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal system includes: bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves, respiratory disorders Respiratory Disease is the term for diseases of the respiratory system. These include diseases of the lung, pleural cavity, bronchial tubes, trachea, upper respiratory tract and of the nerves and muscles of breathing. Respiratory diseases range from mild and self-limiting such as the common cold to life-threatening such as bacterial pneumonia or, geriatrics Geriatrics is a sub-specialty of medicine that focuses on health care of the elderly. It aims to promote health and to prevent and treat diseases and disabilities in older adults, digestive disorders Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster (gen.: gastros) (stomach), enteron (intestine), and logos (reason), neurology Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue, such as muscle. The corresponding surgical specialty and neurosurgery Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the brain, spinal column, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system, kidney disease Causes of nephropathy include administration of analgesics, xanthine oxidase deficiency, and long-term exposure to lead or its salts. Chronic conditions that can produce nephropathy include systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure , which lead to diabetic nephropathy and hypertensive nephropathy, respectively, heart Heart disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of different diseases affecting the heart. As of 2007, it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, killing one person every 34 seconds in the United States alone.[verification needed], rheumatology Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of conditions and diseases affecting the joints, muscles, and bones. Clinicians who specialize in rheumatology are called rheumatologists. Rheumatologists deal mainly with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues, certain autoimmune, cancer, urology Urology is the surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological disorders. The organs covered by urology include the kidneys,, gynecology Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women". It is the counterpart to andrology, which deals with medical issues specific to the male reproductive system, and ear, nose, and throat Otolaryngology or ENT is the branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders. The full name of the specialty is otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Practitioners are called otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons, or sometimes otorhinolaryngologists (ORL). Otolaryngology is.[4] Since 1994, MGH has been awarded the most research funding for an independent hospital by the National Institutes of Health [5], receiving over $285 million dollars alone in 2004 [6]. MGH is also home to the world-renowned Mallinckrodt General Clinical Research Center.
MGH is located at 55 Fruit Street in Boston, Massachusetts. The campus is in an area formerly known as the West End, adjacent to the Charles River The Charles River is an 80 mi long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston. It is also sometimes called the River Charles and Beacon Hill Beacon Hill is a historic neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts that along with neighboring Back Bay is home to about 26,000 people. It is a neighborhood of Federal-style rowhouses and is known for its narrow, gas-lit streets and brick sidewalks. Today, Beacon Hill is regarded as one of the most desirable and expensive neighborhoods in Boston. The closest MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is "a body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts formed in 1964 to finance and operate most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. It replaced stop is Charles/MGH on the Red Line. On 27 March 2007, the new Charles/MGH station was opened with new renovations, including handicap accessible elevators [7].
There are five main food service areas for the general public Public, adj, is of or pertaining to the people; relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community; opposed to private; as, the public treasury, a road or lake. Public, n, is also defined as the people of a nation not affiliated with the government of that nation on the MGH campus. They include the Eat Street Cafe in the lower level of the Ellison Building, the Blossom Street Cafe in the Cox lobby, Coffee Central in the White lobby, Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans in the Wang Ambulatory Care Center, and Coffee South in the Yawkey outpatient center.
Other Educational Opportunities
- Massachusetts General Hospital Academy
- Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy
- MGH Institute of Health Professions
MGH in Popular Culture
There have been several mentions of Massachusetts General Hospital in fictional television series, movies, and books. It is also notable that in common parlance, this hospital is usually referred to as "MGH," "The MGH," or "Mass General." The moniker "Mass Gen," sometimes used in fictional works, is rarely, if ever, used by employees, residents, students, faculty or patients. Some works that have referenced MGH include:
- In the series Alias Alias is an Emmy Award nominated American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006. It stars Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow, a CIA agent, Arvin Sloane mentions that Sydney's psychiatrist trained at the hospital.
- In the movie Sleeping with the Enemy, an MGH neurologist gives the characters played by Julia Roberts Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman, which grossed $464 million worldwide. After receiving Academy Award nominations for Steel Magnolias in 1990 and Pretty Woman in 1991, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her performance in Erin and Patrick Bergin a ride on his sailboat off the coast of Cape Cod Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is an island and a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States. It is coextensive with Barnstable County. Several small islands right off Cape Cod, including Monomoy Island, Monomoscoy Island, Popponesset Island, and Seconsett Island, are.
- In the movie Malice, the lead character played by Alec Baldwin Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing, which aired on CBS from 1984 to 1986. He has since played both leading and supporting roles in films such as Beetlejuice , The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Aviator (2004) and The Departed (2006). His performance in the 2003 film The Cooler is an MGH-trained surgeon with a "God complex".
- In an episode of House, Dr. Gregory House fakes brain cancer in order to participate in a clinical trial at the MGH. The experimental anti-depressant would have given Dr. House, addicted to painkillers, a powerful high.
- In an episode of Grey's Anatomy, Lexie Grey explains that she was supposed to have an internship at "Mass Gen" (referring to the hospital by a casual moniker that is sometimes applied to the hospital in real life, though almost never by insiders) but that she remained in Seattle as a result of the untimely death of her mother.
- In an episode of The Onion News Network, a video podcast from The Onion, MGH was featured in a story titled "Anonymous Philanthropist Donates 200 Human Kidneys To Hospital."
- Doctor Charles Emerson Winchester on this hit series M*A*S*H* is a former employee of MGH.
- In an episode of The X-Files MGH is shown when Agent Scully is brought to NYU Medical Center.
- In an episode of Leverage MGH is shown, but with the name changed to Boston Community Hospital.
- In an episode of Arrested Development, Tobias Funke refers to having once been "chief resident of psychiatry at Mass General"
- In an episode of ER (episode 15.03), Dr. Abby Lockhart reveals that she has got a new job at 'Mass Gen' and will be moving to Boston with her family as soon as her shift ends. Maura Tierney, the actress who played Dr. Abby Lockhart, is from Boston in real life.
- In Jan Karon's novel series, the Mitford Years, the local doctor, Walter "Hoppy" Harper, was an intern at MGH, having graduated from Harvard School of Medicine.
- MGH is referred to as "MBH" or "Man's Best Hospital" in Samuel Shem's satirical novel, The House of God; it is also sometimes referred to as "Man's Greatest Hospital".
- MGH nurses were featured in a four-part, front-page series in The Boston Globe entitled "Critical care: The making of an ICU nurse", which is being used in nursing schools throughout the country.
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