"The best way to predict the future is to create it"

-Peter Drucker

 In 1882, Julia Foster Porter started the Maurice Porter Memorial Hospital. It was an eight bed cottage, located at Halsted and Belden. It became the city's first hospital dedicated to children. Foster proceeded to purchase lots at Fullerton and Orchard where a brick hospital with over 20 beds would be built. Over the course of the next 100 years, the expansion and progress of the hospital would reach new levels. By 1960, the new main hospital Children's Memorial, and it's own street Children's Plaza, were established.¹  

Lincoln Park was home to this progression of hospitals for over 131 years. There had been talk about moving the hospital downtown for many years. In 2006, Children's Memorial announced their plans to expand to the Streeterville neighborhood,  in downtown Chicago.  With Ann Lurie's generous donation of $100 million, the newest work of art, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Hospital was made a success and opened it's doors on June 9, 2012.¹

This hospital was constructed based on extensive worldwide research to bring pediatric patient care to a whole new level. The design team focused on creating an overall atmosphere that reduced patient stress, while providing the best patient and staff safety, as well as staff effectiveness and quality care. Some features include: all private patient rooms to reduce infection, decentralized nurse stations to increase staff time spent in direct patient care, and access to sunlight and views of nature to reduce stress. The hopsital is unique in the sense that it was designed to also keep the environment in mind. It ultilizes means to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, use renewable resources, and recycle waste.² 

The progression of this children's hospital has grown significantly since it was established as an eight bed cottage in 1882. Now in 2012, with 288 beds this hospital ranks as the tallest children's hospital in the world. With the expansion of space and technology, children facing health aliments are given a better opportunity to achieve healthy, normal lives. The number of patients receiving care is expected to continue to increase since the new facility has opened.

• "This remarkable building stands as a testament to how much the community cares for children and the value it places on the health and well-being of children."

• “When you’re constructing a state-of-the-art hospital that is designed to save children’s lives, there is no room for error.”

• “Children are the pride, heart and future of any community and we did whatever needed to be done to make sure this facility performs flawlessly.”

• Image 1: http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-quirk/2012/06/childrens-memorial-hospital-131-years-of-history/
• Image 2: http://www.galter.northwestern.edu/news/index.cfm/2010/3/8/The-Feinberg-School-Celebrates-150-Years-The-Later-Years-19552009
• Image 3: http://nutorc.org/nutorc/resources/links
• Image 4:http://completewatersystems.com/2012/06/building-a-children’s-hospital-of-the-future-today/
• Image Collage: Jensen Schwarzbach
• ^{1 http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-quirk/2012/06/childrens-memorial-hospital-131-years-of-history/}
• ^{2 http://completewatersystems.com/2012/06/building-a-children’s-hospital-of-the-future-today/}
• Quotes:http://completewatersystems.com/2012/06/building-a-children’s-hospital-of-the-future-today/