Surgical Case Records of Presbyterian Hospital

Presbyterian Hospital was founded in 1871 by the Alliance of Philadelphia Presbyteries as a 45-bed facility on 2.5 acres. The incorporators declared the purpose was “to provide medical and surgical aid and nursing for the sick and disabled...” Care and nursing was granted to the indigent of Philadelphia, funded by donations from individuals and Presbyterian churches, to fulfill its Christian mission. This commitment was renewed in 1952, when the trustees of the Hospital voted against moving to the more affluent suburbs, choosing to remain in West Philadelphia. The original name was “Presbyterian Hospital of Philadelphia.” It has since grown into a 300-bed institution on 16.5 acres with various nationally recognized medical institutes, specialty centers and research programs.

The Hospital remained independent but formally affiliated with Penn in 1965, changing its name to Presbyterian–University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. It was renamed the Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia in 1989.

By the mid-1990s, senior management at Presbyterian Hospital realized due to increasing costs and shrinking revenues, an independent hospital the size of Presbyterian might not survive. In 1995, Presbyterian Medical Center, as it was then known, joined the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS). This has provided them access to and benefits from the resources of the Health System, as well as the University's School of Medicine. The name was changed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

[Source: “Penn Presbyterian Medical Center,” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 30 October 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_Presbyterian_Medical_Center]

The Surgical Case Records of Presbyterian Hospital span the years 1892 to 1894, and consist of case notes for surgical procedures performed at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Researchers should note that only the months of May through July seem to be represented for each year. The patient information given includes name, diagnosis, age and “color,” occupation (for adults), nativity (place of residence), admission and discharge dates, and the names of attending physicians. Each case note includes a brief summary of the patient’s history, the patient’s pre- and post-operation conditions, operation performed, and the date of discharge. If the patient died, a brief post-mortem note was added.