Lutheran General Hospital Turns 50

Lutheran General Hospital was dedicated 50 years ago today. Back then, it looked like this; today, this original part has been enclosed on all sides, including the top; now Lutheran General is sprawling, but still up-to-date.

When construction started on the $5 million Lutheran General Hospital (architects Burnham and Hammond) in 1957, $1.25 million came from private donations. It was originally planned to be five stories with 200 beds and a school for 100 nursing students, but before construction even began, it was expanded to 326 beds (increasing the cost to $5.9 million), and designed to expand further to 450.

It was dedicated 50 years ago today, and the original building is now totally hidden by the spectacular new bed tower. You can read more about the overall history here, so I will go over the building history.

Within three months of opening, the next addition was announced. This would include  more school space for $750,00 (1961), a $300,000 research wing (1962), and long range plans for a $5 million clinic (1965), and 30 more acres of land, which was planned to include a future $10 million medical college for 400 students; housing for faculty, students, interns, and residents; a facility for emotionally disturbed children; and a 100 bed hospital for the elderly. Obviously, many of these plans were not carried out.

The three-story rear research wing opened in 1964, and is now enclosed within several larger buildings. Plans for 203 more beds were announced later that year, with a 3 story addition to the original building and a five-story west annex, with three stories underground. Before the annex was completed in 1965, plans for two more stories on the annex were announced, along with a one-story emergency room.

In 1967, the five-story alcoholic rehabilitation center broke ground. Various other major expansions were built in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1982 the six story (two underground) Parkside Center and garage opened. In 1977, when the Nesset Pavilion was announced off Ballard Road.

In 1996 reknowned architectural firm Cesar Pelli & Associates worked with Watkins Carter Hamilton to create the new Yacktman Pavilion Children's Outpatient center and master plan, which resulted in new landscaping and a 1,200 space parking garage. A new ER was added in 2002, three times the size of the old. In 2003, a $25 million operating room expansion opened.

Most recently, the Cancer Center, Parking Garage, and eight-story, 192-room addition opened.