The magnificent new Kennedy Children's Outpatient Center at Erlanger hospital represents a landmark in the care of this region's children.
Think back to childhood and remember circumstances that created fear for you. An injury or illness might bring fever or pain but also uncertainty. Even the reassurance of a parent's held hand or gentle words might not overcome the shock of strange faces and an unfamiliar, even threatening, environment.
Dr. Clif CleavelandAt age 8, I developed a severe leg infection while on vacation with my family. I recall fever, sweats, worsening pain in my reddened leg and a consuming fear. I was admitted to a clinic where hot compresses were continually applied to my leg. I recall a large physician, who spoke to my parents but not to me. A new drug, penicillin, turned the tide, and I recovered. I now know that I suffered from cellulitis, a spreading skin infection most likely due to a Streptococcus. Without the antibiotic I would probably have died.
A child who is accompanied to the new Kennedy Center will be greeted outside by a steam locomotive, whose whistle and chugs periodically sound. She and her caregivers enter a large, colorful lobby with dispersed seating. A hang-glider is suspended overhead. On the second floor a colorfully restored tow truck greets her. A fire engine welcomes her to the third floor. Throughout the building, artwork draws her attention. Pictures and gentle colors soothe the room in which she will be evaluated and treated. Every aspect of the center radiates comfort.
The Hospital for Sick Children opened in Paris, France, in 1801 - the world's first facility devoted to young patients up to age 15 years. English physician George F. Still devoted his career to the care of children. In 1899, he became the founding director of a special unit for children's diseases at London's King's College Hospital. His 1909 text, "Common Disorders and Diseases of Children," defined the field of pediatrics.
In the U.S., Dr. Abraham Jacobi, who had immigrated to New York City from Germany in 1853, focused his career on sick children. He established children's departments in the city's hospitals and founded a society that studied the health of infants and children.
Established in 1930, The American Academy of Pediatrics defined the specialty. The American Board of Pediatrics, launched in 1933, established the standards for training, practice, and certification for the new specialty.
Chattanooga's first hospital specifically for children had a difficult labor and delivery. Beginning in the mid-1920s, former Mayor T.C. Thompson spearheaded a multi-year effort to build a separate pediatric facility. His devotion to the cause spanned years and involved lobbying for city and county bond issues, solicitation of support from wealthy citizens and civic organizations, overcoming community doubts that such a facility was even needed, and a faltering regional economy. Children's Hospital opened in the Glenwood section of the city in July 1929. Thompson insisted that every child at the new hospital would receive the same care. There would be no charity ward. Black and white patients occupied separate floors.
In its early years, Children's Hospital barely stayed afloat financially. Supporters eventually prevailed, and the hospital became a valued community resource. Polio, birth defects, and a range of infectious diseases for which there was only supportive care were leading diagnoses in the hospital's first decade.
In 1975, Children's Hospital relocated to the main campus of Erlanger Hospital. The new space included a separate, pediatric emergency room, outpatient clinic, and inpatient services ranging from a neonatal intensive care unit to the most sophisticated, diverse specialties.
A steadily growing population of sick children from a multi-county region and an increasing range of services that could be mobilized for their care mandated expansion of Children's Hospital. After years of planning and fund-raising, the Kennedy Center represents the first step. A new inpatient center will complete the expansion in coming years.
Contact Clif Cleaveland at ccleaveland@timesfreepress.com.