Michael Reese Hospital

Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center was an American hospital founded in 1881. In its heyday, it was a major research and teaching hospital and one of the oldest and largest hospitals in Chicago, Illinois. It was located on the near south side of Chicago, next to Lake Shore Drive (U.S. Route 41) which lies along Lake Michigan.

The hospital closed its Internal Medicine Residency at the end of the 2007-2008 academic year and finished transferring patients to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center before the end of 2008; the 48-acre campus was then vacated. In July 2009, the streets through the campus were closed, and calls to the main number were greeted by: "We're sorry. All circuits are busy now. Please try your call again later." Demolition began in late fall 2009.

Medical staff residency training records and verification have become available through the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) Closed Residency program records.

Psychology internship/residency training records and verifications have become available through the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) Closed Record Verification Service (CRVS).

Reese had been most recently owned by Envision Hospital Corporation of Scottsdale, AZ. The hospital officially closed August 31, 2009. At one time, the hospital had a large health plan which included 300,000 patients; at the time of the hospital's closure the health plan was terminated and it only had 2,900 clients.

Michael Reese was a real estate developer who died in 1877, leaving funds in his will to build a new hospital. Reese's heirs requested that the hospital would be open to all people, regardless of creed, nationality, or race. Construction of the first hospital on the corner of 29th and Groveland Avenue was completed in 1880. In its early years, it served a diverse array of mostly European immigrants; by the time the hospital was shuttered in 2009, it primarily served the black community. For much of its history, Michael Reese was dedicated to charity care as well as medical research and education. In 1890, the hospital established a training school for nurses in order to ensure a steady supply of nursing staff. A Centennial History of Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, 1881-1981. Chicago: Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, 1981. In 1899, the hospital became famous as the first US institution to implement a motorized ambulance service. The vehicle was electric, running on a 44-cell battery. Similar models used shortly thereafter in New York City had a top speed of 16 miles per hour and a range of approximately 25 miles before they needed to be recharged.

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