Chicago Hospital for Women and Children

Chicago Hospital for Women and Children

Chicago Hospital for Women and Children, renamed Mary Thompson Hospital after its founder's death in 1895, was established in 1865 and provided medical care to indigent women and children as well as clinical training to women doctors. It was founded by Mary Harris Thompson, who received her degree in Boston in 1863 from the New England Female Medical College, the first medical school for women. Thompson established the hospital because of her inability to gain a position at Chicago's two hospitals (one of which refused admittance to women patients). The hospital treated the wives, widows, and children of Union soldiers and it was funded by donations. The hospital's objectives were: To afford a home for women and children among the respectable poor in need of medical and surgical aid To treat the same classes at home by an assistant physician To afford a free dispensary for the same To train competent nurses An affiliated nursing school was established in 1871. The hospital building was totally destroyed in the Chicago fire of 1871 and temporary accommodations were set up quickly to deal with the aftermath. In 1872 with a $25,000 commitment from the Chicago Relief and Aid Society a permanent building was purchased. In 1885 a new building was erected on the site. The hospital was home to several profound medical establishments. In 1930, Chicago's first Mother's Milk Bureau was established. In 1943, the first Cancer Detection Clinic in the Midwest was established. In 1946, the first Mental Hygiene Clinic for Working Women was established and in 1951, the first Cardiac Kitchen in the Midwest was established. The hospital provided working opportunities for women exclusively until 1972 when men joined the staff. Due to financial issues, it closed in 1988.

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Cotton Mather.

Chicago Hospital for Women and Children

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