Largest U.S. medical centers?

[Orchidflower]

Other than Mayo's in Rochester, Minnesota, and the huge medical complex in Houston called The Medical Center, are there any other huge medical complexes in America? I do know that Houston is a mecca for medical institutions all over the city--and, particularly, the many blocks upon blocks of hospitals there in The Medical Center.
I will admit I have tried to find this information on the net, but must be putting the wrong thing in the address bar as am coming up with zero, and know some of you are much more astute about medical issues than I am for sure.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I hope you or someone close to you is not in need of medical care, Orchid.

One of the posters in the medical field will probably give you better information, but I know Chicago has a lot of teaching hospitals (University of Chicago, Northwestern, U of I, Loyola, Rush, at least), some of them quite close to each other in location. The Boston area of course has similar facilities, and New York, and probably most large cities. Maybe try the city name and "teaching hospitals" in your search?

 

[Orchidflower]

No, this is just a curiosity for me. I've lived in Chicago and D.C., also, and know they both have many fine hospitals; and, of course, Boston is right up there with fine hospitals aplenty. However, I have never seen so many great hospitals BLOCKS away from each other like in Houston, and was wondering if there is another city built with a Medical Center like Houston's. (And here's hoping none of us ever have to really use one...but...)

 

[Brat]

If you are making a list add the Cleveland Clinic.

 

[Meadbh]

Add University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers

World Class Health Care – UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

 

[ijuba]

Depends on how you define it.....

Used to be - free standing hospitals could be measured in terms of inpatient "beds" to determine the largest. Example: Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami has over 1500 beds in one "hospital". It used to be that it was the largest free-standing hospital in the country. (I believe that it still is).

More recently though, with consolidation in the marketplace, health care "systems" are the real unit of measure. These are large health care organizations that acquire/build inpatient/outpatient/physician and even payer organizations to be become an entire integrated delivery network (IDN) offering cradle to grave health care services.

Certainly the "systems" previously mentioned are very large networks.

Others include (in no particular order):

Barnes-Jewish - St. Louis
New York Hospital - NYC
Columbia-Presbyterian - NYC
Sentara - Norfolk, VA
St. Barnabas - NJ
Johns Hopkins - Maryland
Baylor - Dallas
Mass. Gen. - Boston
Carolinas Health Care - Charlotte
Emory - Atlanta
Florida Health - Orlando
Intermountain Healthcare - Utah
The Veteran's Administration (largest network of non-profits)

I'm sure I've left many out - and of course there are the "for-profit" multi-state behemoths like HCA, Kaiser-Permanente, Tenet, etc.

Depends on how you measure it.......

 

[bssc]

Minor correction, it is the Texas Medical Center. I worked there for five years. The Anderson family started it and it kept growing. I believe it is the largest concentration of medical institutions in the world in one location.

 

[Orchidflower]

OK, so that confirms it I guess. All I know is I have never seen such a major bundle of highly esteemed hospitals within blocks of each other anywhere except Houston. Mindblowing really to me to see so many packed together.
After digging on the net, I started to figure that just maybe Houston was the only city in the world with such a large concentration of medical institutions, but really had a hard time confirming it. Thanks!!!

 

[shoe]

Orchidflower the Cleveland Clinic center goes on for blocks in every direction. Google a map of it!

 

[MGYog]

No, this is just a curiosity for me. I've lived in Chicago and D.C., also, and know they both have many fine hospitals; and, of course, Boston is right up there with fine hospitals aplenty. However, I have never seen so many great hospitals BLOCKS away from each other like in Houston, and was wondering if there is another city built with a Medical Center like Houston's. (And here's hoping none of us ever have to really use one...but...)

The Medical District is 5 miles west of the Loop in Chicago and has the following institutions next to each other: Rush-Presbyterian-St. Lukes and it's affiliated University; University of Illinois Hospital and University; Cook County Hospital; West Side VA Hospital; Illinois State Psychiatric Institute, Illinois Public Health offices, Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, American Red Cross Headquarters, Coroner's office, and other entities.

 

[Orchidflower]

Thanks for the info. and I will certainly look up these areas. Knock wood, but never having been really sick or around sickness (nor in the field) I am just out of loop on where the institutions are. This helps, and thanks again!

 

[DblDoc]

Boston has Brigham and Womens, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Isreal Deaconess, Boston Childrens and Harvard Medical School all within spitting distance of each other. Its called the Longwood Medical and Academic Area.

DD

 

[Leonidas]

I knew the TMC was big, but the numbers are impressive:

46 institutions
5.5 million patient visits annually
10,000 doctors
26,000 nurses and techs
73,600 employees
53,000 parking spaces
10 degree granting schools, including 2 medical schools, 4 nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, pharmacy and public health.

I was just there about two months ago and there must have been twenty high rise construction cranes at work on a slew of new buildings.

 

[RonBoyd]

I have heard good things about the Eisenhower Medical Center in the Los Angeles area.

 

[FinanceDude]

The Medical College of Wisconsin has spent about $600 million dollars in new construction and remodeling in the past 10 years........

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Just curious if the OP is equating "big" with "good." The correlation between the two is not necessarily strong, though for at least a few surgeries, volume and outcomes tend to track one another.

Aside from that, I'd seek out a hospital with good "systems" in place, robust policies for patient safety, electronic medical records including physician order entry, clean and well-staffed, all the major specialties staffed deeply, etc. I'd also like to be under the care of a dedicated hospitalist in most cases.

It's a very difficult metric to achieve, though. Within reasonable limits, size is not one of the crucial determinants for me.

 

[jIMOh]

I would add Cincinnati to the list

1) Cincinnati Children's Hospital (world renowned)
2) Good Samaritan Hospital
3) University Hospital
4) Christ Hospital

There are others in the area as well (Bethesda North-West-East group for example). Obviously a retirement board would not have need for Children's, but I do know people come from 3000-4000 miles away for some of the procedures the hospital performs.

If it wasn't for the NICU at good sam and children's, my 6 months old twins would not be alive today.

 

[bow-tie]

...I was just there about two months ago and there must have been twenty high rise construction cranes at work on a slew of new buildings.

Hmmm... makes sense. I hear there's money in healthcare.

 

[Orchidflower]

Go to US News & World Report's annual rankings of the best hospitals in the US. MD Anderson is #1 for cancer and St. Lukes is #6, I believe, in the nation for heart--both located in the Texas Medical Center. No, good means high quality here with this OP.

 

[Texican]

Small Town = Small Medical Facilities

It all comes down to what the area can support. We have a little complex consisting of The University of Texas Health Science Center, the Audie Murphy VA Medical Center and the Methodist Hospital within a stones throw of each other down here in our neck of the woods. Across town there is also Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center and Brook Army Medical Center. And then there are numerous smaller hospitals like the Baptist, Nix, Southwest General, Metrpolitan, Christus Santa Rosa, and a few others...

 

[Orchidflower]

Yes, I have always heard San Antonio had good medical facilities, too. Lucky you!

 

[Leonidas]

Hmmm... makes sense. I hear there's money in healthcare.

Lots of money. We went to Texas Children's Hospital yesterday and I'm amazed at the facilities there. The line for valet parking was twenty cars deep at 10 AM. Marble lobbies, beautiful wood paneling, expensive furniture, etc. Nothing was done cheaply in that place. Yep, lots of money in healthcare.

 

[bssc]

Lots of money. We went to Texas Children's Hospital yesterday and I'm amazed at the facilities there. The line for valet parking was twenty cars deep at 10 AM. Marble lobbies, beautiful wood paneling, expensive furniture, etc. Nothing was done cheaply in that place. Yep, lots of money in healthcare.

My old workplace. Did you see the giant pit across the street where they are building another tower?

 

[Leonidas]

My old workplace. Did you see the giant pit across the street where they are building another tower?

Saw that as we drove in. Looking out the windows I also saw a new tower at MD Anderson and a couple of other buildings that were still in the beginning stages. Lots of cranes.