HIstory of Provident Hospital
The Provident Foundation is dedicated to preserving the history of the Provident Hospital. This is a timeline overview of the Provident Hospital’s history.
Emma Reynolds is denied admission to nursing school in Chicago
Emma Reynolds, a young woman who aspired to be a nurse, was denied admission by each of Chicago’s nursing schools on the grounds that she was black. Her brother, the Reverend Louis Reynolds, pastor of St. Stephen’s African Methodist Episcopal Church, approached the respected black surgeon, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams for help. Unable to influence the existing schools, they decided to launch a new nursing school for black women.
The first Provident Hospital is established
Dr. Williams, along with a group of black ministers, physicians and businessmen worked to establish a nurse-training facility and hospital for black medical scholars. Rallies were scheduled on Chicago’s south and west sides. Donations from the community, including a few prominent white citizens, black individuals, and black community organizations, included supplies, equipment, and financial support.
Building is Secured
Clergyman Reverend Jenkins Jones secured a commitment from the Armour Meat Packing Company for the down payment on a three-story brick house at 29th and Dearborn. This building, with 12 beds, became the first Provident Hospital. Wealthy donors helped support the hospital, but the generosity of community residents was also a critical factor. Many black community members volunteered at Provident because they were excited about having a hospital responsive to the black community. Black residents, workers, employers, public officials, church leaders, and civic leaders contributed heavily to opening and sustaining the facility.
Mission of Provident Hospital is established
The legal papers were drawn up in 1891 for “Provident Hospital and Training School Association” and the charter stated: “The object for which it is formed is to maintain a hospital and training school for nurses in the City of Chicago, Illinois, for the gratuitous treatment of the medical and surgical diseases of the sick poor.” Provident was established to serve all races, and its early patients and physicians reflected this.
Structure of the Provident Hospital is established
In 1891, a board of trustees, an executive committee, and a finance committee were named and a community advisory board and women’s auxiliary board were assembled. The Hospital’s first annual budget totaled $5,429. By the end of the year, Provident Hospital was designated an Illinois corporation, the training school for nurses opened and Dr. Williams was appointed hospital chief-of-staff.
Medical scholars join the hospital
By 1892, seven women, including Emma Reynolds, had enrolled in the first nursing class. The first physicians in surgical training, Dr. Austin Curtis, received two years of instruction under Dr. Williams, from 1891 through 1893. Dr. Curtis later became the first black surgeon-in-chief at Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Change in leadership
In 1894, Dr. Williams moved to Washington, D.C., where he was named surgeon-in-chief of Freedmen’s Hospital. During this period, there were discussions on physician practice issues and the trustees were sharply divided as to whether physicians could hold medical appointments at other hospitals. Dr. George Cleveland Hall, an opponent of Dr. Williams, was named medical director and his supporters assumed control of Provident’s trustee board.
Expanding plans begin
As the demand for medical care grew, the Provident board initiated planning to expand. An 1896 funding campaign raised sufficient funding to construct a new building on donated land at 36th and Dearborn. The effort was helped by abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who gave a public lecture in Chicago and presented a donation at the Hospital site to Dr. Williams. By 1897, the Hospital had 189 inpatients, and the outpatient clinic, the Armour Dispensary, treated approximately 6,000 patients. In 1898, the Hospital moved to the new 36th Street location, which had 65 beds.
The hospital partners with the University of Chicago
A controversial educational affiliation with the University of Chicago came about in 1933. As part of the agreement, Provident purchased a building at 426 East 51st Street, previously occupied by the Chicago Lying-in Hospital. The newly refurbished, seven story facility added considerable space for patient care, education, and administrative functions. A four-story outpatient building was constructed and two apartment buildings at 50th and Vincennes were purchased to house student nurses. As evidence of its support, the University of Chicago established a one million dollar fund for teaching and research at Provident Hospital.
Provident Hospital declares bankruptcy and closes
Provident had two final major financial crisis, one in the late 40’s that was narrowly averted and one in the mid 80’s. Increasing debt led to a series of efforts to sustain Provident, including developing an alliance with Cook County Hospital, and other public and private financing plans. None of these efforts were successful and the hospital declared bankruptcy in July 1987. Provident Hospital closed its doors in September 1987.
Cook County Board of Commissioners acquires
The interest in reopening Provident Hospital remained a priority for many. Community groups and others tried to raise both funding and political support to reopen the hospital. These efforts were not successful. However, the long-standing interest of Cook County Hospital in Provident Hospital led the Cook County Board of Commissioners to acquire the hospital in 1991.
Provident Hospital reopens
This coincided with the County’s Bureau of Health Services’ plan to improve service provision to County residents living on the south side of Chicago. After considerable investment in upgrading the physical plant, the Bureau reopened Provident Hospital in August 1993. The Hospital’s traditional medical education role was reestablished in 1994 through an educational affiliation with Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine. While no longer considered a black-run hospital, Provident continues to serve the health needs of the community, including a variety of health outreach efforts.