The Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital is a

public hospital A public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is fully funded by the government and operates solely off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In some countries, this typ ...

located in Indianapolis,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. The hospital is the flagship medical center for Eskenazi Health, founded in 1859 as Indiana's oldest public healthcare system. The hospital is operated by Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County. The current hospital opened December 7, 2013, less than to the west of the original campus, replacing Wishard Memorial Hospital. Many of Eskenazi Hospital's 4,620 medical staff are provided by a mix of faculty, residents, and students of the adjacent

Indiana University School of Medicine The Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) is a major multi-campus medical school in the state of Indiana. There are nine campuses throughout the state; the principal research and medical center is located on the Indiana University–Purd ...

. The hospital is an Adult Level I Trauma Center and serves about 1 million outpatients annually.

History

Wishard Hospital infant operating room, c

The hospital was founded as Indianapolis City Hospital in 1859 in response to a

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

epidemic in the city. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, the hospital was used by the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

to treat some 13,000 sick and wounded soldiers. The hospital reverted to community control after the war. In 1943, the hospital became the first in the U.S. to coordinate ambulance dispatch via two-way radios. In the 20th century, the main facility was located at 1001 West 10th Street and went through several name changes, including: Indianapolis General Hospital (1947); Marion County General Hospital (1959); and Wishard Memorial Hospital (1975). The Wishard name was selected to honor Dr. William N. Wishard, a leading physician in Indianapolis. The main hospital campus included the Myers Building (

Intensive Care Intensive care medicine, also called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes pro ...

Labor and Delivery Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million births globall ...

OB/GYN Obstetrics and Gynaecology (also spelled as Obstetrics and Gynecology; abbreviated as Obs and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and t ...

, Surgery, and General Medicine Wards) as well as other buildings housing the

Level I trauma center A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. A trauma center may also refer to an emergen ...

, Level I Burn Unit, Psychiatric Care, Prisoner Care, Outpatient Surgery, Therapy, Long Term Care, and various clinics. Wishard Memorial became Indiana's first certified Level I trauma center in 1992. Due to the aging of the physical plant and its inefficiencies, plans were made to construct an entirely new hospital. On November 3, 2009, 85 percent of Marion County voters approved a major bond referendum for the development of a new public medical center. On June 22, 2011, Wishard Health Services announced that the new hospital would be named in honor of Indianapolis real estate developers and philanthropists Sidney and Lois Eskenazi, who had donated $40 million for the new hospital.

Building

Construction for the $754 million Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital started in 2010 and opened to the public on December 7, 2013. Situated on on the

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...

(IUPUI) campus, the complex covers over 11 floors above ground and is in height. A connected 2,700-space parking garage is also located on the campus. HOK was the project's lead architect, while

Jacobs Engineering Group Jacobs Solutions Inc. is an American international technical professional services firm. The company provides engineering, technical, professional and construction services, as well as scientific and specialty consulting for a broad range of cli ...

was project manager. Eskenazi Hospital contains 315 inpatient beds, 200 examination rooms, 17 operating rooms, 12 labor and delivery rooms, Central Indiana's only adult burn center, and one of only three Adult Level I trauma centers in the state.

Sustainability and wellness

Eskenazi Hospital was certified as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold building in 2015. The LEED Gold designation was notable for being Indiana's first. Eskenazi Hospital's front entrance is flanked by a plaza, called The Commonground, which features 5,000 perennial plants, a trellis sculpture, lawns, public seating, Healing Waters dry-deck fountain, the St. Margaret's Hospital Guild Limestone Falls, and the Frank & Katrina Basile Pavilion. The Basile Pavilion is home to Duos, an Indianapolis-based restaurant serving

local food Local food is food that is produced within a short distance of where it is consumed, often accompanied by a social structure and supply chain different from the large-scale supermarket system. Local food (or "locavore") movements aim to con ...

. The Commonground was designed by

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

-based landscape architecture and urban design firm David Rubin Land Collective, with The Olin Studio and Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The plaza opened to the public in July 2014. Eskenazi Hospital has been recognized for its emphasis on growing and serving local and healthy food options. In 2016, the

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a non-profit research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., which promotes a plant-based diet, preventive medicine, and alternatives to animal research, and encourages ...

ranked Eskenazi sixth of 24 hospitals recognized nationwide for providing fresh vegetables, whole grains, cholesterol-free entrees, and soy milk. The hospital produces about two tons of produce annually from its rooftop gardens, called the Sky Farm. Of the $3.4 million annual food budget, the hospital manages to allocate 40 percent to Indiana farm and food suppliers, serving about 113,000 meals monthly.

Art collection

The Eskenazi Health Art Collection is part of the hospital's commitment to wellness and includes more than 30 artworks on public display. Many of the permanent installations have won national awards.

References

External links