April 16, 2009
UW Medical Center celebrates 50 years
James R. Patterson had barely unpacked his moving boxes when he reported for his first day of work as an internal medicine resident at University Hospital in 1959.
It was also the day that University Hospital, now known as UW Medical Center, admitted its first patients.
“There were four patients that night, as I recall,” said Patterson, who spent his career in the San Juan Islands and now lives in Seattle. “The hospital was brand-spanking-new, and we could still recognize parts of the old golf course on which it was sited.
“I was immediately struck by everyone’s sense of excitement for the future,” Patterson said. “To me, it seemed like a renaissance in medicine had begun.”
In 2009, a half-century after Patterson began his residency, UW Medical Center celebrates its 50th anniversary. The 50 years that have passed since its founding have been marked by growth and achievement. And the sense of excitement — for faculty, volunteers, and administrators — remains.
A community celebration will take place on the opening day of boating season at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 2. A staff celebration is planned for 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, May 4, in the Plaza Cafe, rooms ABC.
Fifty years ago, values of accountability, service, and innovation provided the inspiration for founding UW Medical Center.
Soon after the UW School of Medicine opened in 1946, it became apparent that partnerships with community hospitals weren’t enough to ensure that new doctors received a clinical experience consistent with a medical-school curriculum. A university-controlled hospital was needed.
After years of careful planning with lawmakers, medical associations, University of Washington officials, and community physicians, University Hospital opened its doors to patients on May 4, 1959. The hospital cost approximately $13 million, had eight floors, 291 beds and a nursery.
The creation of a new building, though, was only part of the school’s and the university’s commitment to medical service and excellence. Finding the right people to fulfill this commitment was key, and UW Medical Center recruited physician-faculty members who would become world-renowned for their work in medicine.
Patterson recalls the faculty with admiration. “Dr. Robert Williams was chief of medicine at the time, and I remember he was an amazing force for building a world-class medical center — we started off with a powerhouse faculty,” he said.
“It was a particularly fertile time for a young doctor like me,” Patterson said. “We were surrounded by these giants who demanded quality at every level. It felt like we were breaking new ground — we had all of these tools and talent at our fingertips.”
