History - Children's Hospital Boston

300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 355-6000

BCRP:

Boston Medical Center

The establishment of Boston City Hospital (BCH) in 1864 was a major accomplishment for the City of Boston. BCH was the first municipal hospital established in the United States. As a municipal institution, BCH began to provide much needed health care to both the urban poor of Boston and the ever-increasing number of Irish Immigrants entering the city during the mid-19th century. Boston Medical Center, which is the result of the 1996 merger of Boston City Hospital and University Hospital, exists on the grounds of the original Boston City Hospital. In the first 50 years of its existence, BCH did not have a Pediatric Service. Children were admitted to one of the four Medical or Surgical Services in wards that housed adults.

In 1919 BCH determined that two buildings, near the site of the current Menino Pavilion would be dedicated to the care of children and this began the Pediatric Service at BCH.

With support from the City of Boston, funds were earmarked for a free standing Children's Building, and in honor of the wife of Mayor Curley, the Mary E. Curley Pavilion for Children opened in 1932. This nine story facility housed a Walk-In Clinic, an Ambulatory Clinic and a large inpatient Pediatric ward service, which occupied five stories of the Curley Pavilion. A number of the current faculty provided care in the Curley Pavilion.

Boston City Hospital, circa 1903.

Early BCH ambulance.

Over the years, the Pediatric Service at BCH has continued its long tradition of providing service and patient care to the residents of Boston. The Department continues to be a national leader in areas of advocacy, urban health and health care services. Since its inception under Dr. Martin J. English in 1923, and the continued leadership of the preeminent pediatricians of their time - Drs. Eli Friedman, Sydney Gellis, Horace Gezon, Joel Alpert and Barry Zuckerman - the mission of the department has continued to be integrated with the changing needs of our patient population. The Department remains committed to solving the health care challenges of the urban poor and focuses its clinical and research expertise in topics such as racial disparities, malnutrition, infectious diseases, childhood obesity, autism and medical informatics. While the landscape of Boston has seen many changes in the 140 year history of BCH/Boston Medical Center, the consistent mission of the Department of Pediatrics remains imbedded in the framework of the families and children they serve.



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