Pediatric Trauma - Hennepin County Medical Center

Historical Perspectives
Babies and
nurses at
Minneapolis
General Hospital,
June 26, 1930
Minneapolis
General Hospital
Annex Building,
1960ʼs
Over 100 Years of Pediatric Care
Historical Perspectives: On the Leading Edge of
Medicine for Children
The History of Pediatrics at Hennepin County Medical Center
by Sherrie Murphy, RN
Hennepin County Medical Center
During the last 100 years, advances in the
specialty of pediatrics have been astounding.
From a half-dozen pediatric practitioners
devoted to the care of children at the
beginning of the 1900s, the ranks of
pediatricians has grown to more than
60,000 in 2010, according to the American
Academy of Pediatrics. The infant mortality
rate in 1900 was 200/1000, compared with
the current 6.3/1000. (CHC data, 2010)
Physicians and nursing staff associated
with the founding hospitals of Hennepin
County Medical Center (HCMC) played
major roles in the development of specialized
care for adults and children in the region.
For example, in 1914 the Pediatric
Contagion Building was constructed for
children infected with scarlet fever and
diphtheria. In 1920, Minneapolis City
Hospital became Minneapolis General. In
1921, medical residency programs began
at Minneapolis General. In 1940 Sister
Elizabeth Kenny came to the U.S. with a
new treatment for polio. Minneapolis
General was the only hospital anywhere
that allowed her to demonstrate her hot
packing technique. In 1946 Minneapolis
General added 1000 people to the staff
during a polio epidemic. Fifty patients were
admitted daily, and 30 iron lung respirators
were in use at one time.
18 | Approaches in Critical Care | June 2011