America’s First Hospital

In this modern era, we take hospitals for granted, expecting to see at least one in every town of sustainable size. The first hospital in not only the Colonies, but in the Americas, is Pennsylvania Hospital, founded in 1751 by Dr Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin. Pennsylvania Hospital was founded to care for the sick, poor, and mentally ill who roamed the streets of Philadelphia. As the city grew rapidly, the need for organized medical care became urgent. Inspired by his time in European hospitals, Dr Thomas Bond imagined a place where anyone could receive medical help, no matter their financial means. In full agreement with Dr Bond, Benjamin Franklin, a well-known civic leader, played a key role in raising the funds to build the hospital.

The founding of Pennsylvania Hospital was a major milestone in the history of healthcare in the Americas. As the first institution devoted to caring for those in need, it set the stage for future medical facilities across the continent. Quickly becoming a beacon of hope, it offered everything from surgeries to mental health care and played a key role in shaping how healthcare was delivered in the United States. On May 11, 1751, the Pennsylvania legislature granted a charter to establish a hospital “to care for the sick, poor, and insane who wandered the streets of Philadelphia,” according to the history of Pennsylvania Hospital. Founded by Benjamin Franklin and Dr Thomas Bond, Pennsylvania Hospital has been the backdrop for many of the nation’s “firsts,” along with numerous other significant medical, historical, and cultural achievements. Chosen by Franklin and Bond, as the official seal was the story of the Good Samaritan. The seal reading, “Take Care of Him and I will repay Thee” ushers in a new attitude of social responsibility. In 1752, a temporary hospital is opened in a house on High (Market) Street and Elizabeth Gardner. A Quaker widow was appointed matron.

In 1755, Franklin wrote the inscription for the cornerstone of the East Wing, laid at the hospital’s current site at 8th and Pine on land the hospital purchased. Patients began being admitted the following year, in 1756. Over the years, Pennsylvania Hospital has grown and adapted, staying true to its mission of offering accessible and fair healthcare. Its original values of compassion and innovation still shape the medical field today, highlighting the importance of caring for everyone in need. The Pennsylvania Hospital, founded in 1751, is known as the first hospital in the Americas, and it also set the stage for modern healthcare practices and institutions in the area.