Becker's Hospital Review

42 Leadership & Strategy I n 1751, the United States of America had yet to be founded, skirmishes between England and France were building up to the French and In- dian War, and Benjamin Franklin and a physician named Thomas Bond founded Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. During the American Revolution, PAH cared for both Continental and Brit- ish soldiers, leading prominent Quaker Board members to exile the institu- tion and leave it suffering financially for subsequent years. A member of the hospital's medical staff — Dr. Benjamin Rush — wrote a definitive treatise on military medicine, soldier health and patient care called the Directors for Preserving the Health of Soldiers that went on to serve the nation until the Civil War. PAH was also at the forefront of the first hospital service units established in World War I, which sent medical personnel to spend 21 months of service in France. During World War II, PAH's 52nd Evacuation Hospital saw action in the Pacific Theater. Since its establishment, PAH has been the home to many medical "firsts," including the first American Medical Association-designated medical library (1847), the first training school for male nurses (1914) and the first hospital- based day care for disabled and chronically ill older adults (1965). More than 260 years after PAH was founded, Theresa Larivee rose to the helm of the nation's first hospital as executive director. Ms. Larivee succeeded R. Michael Buckley, MD, in 2014 after serving as the vice president of finan- cial operations and budget for the University of Pennsylvania Health System since 2008. Here, Ms. Larivee discusses what it's like to run the oldest hospital in the country, which now stands at roughly 520 beds, and how she balances PAH's history with staying at the forefront of medicine. Note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and style. Question: Did PAH's long history have any influence whatsoever on your choice to join the hospital? Theresa Larivee: Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital, certainly had a positive influence on my decision. The initial mission of the hospital — "To care for the sick-poor and insane who wander the streets of Phila- delphia" — remains at the core of our modern day mission to provide high quality, individualized, compassionate care. Linking our founders' vision to our modern day goals provides a wonderful foundation to build upon. In addition to being executive director of a healthcare enterprise, I am account- able for preserving the historical buildings, artifacts, artwork and collections, which I consider a wonderful attribute of the position. Q: How do you balance the hospital's legacy with remaining rel- evant and cutting-edge? TL: The original structure — the historic Pine building — the medicinal gar- dens, the 1803 hand pump fire engine and our buildings remain as a constant reminder of our past for all to tour and enjoy. Our patient care settings for ambulatory, inpatient, diagnostic and treatment are regularly invested in to keep them at current standard and provide for cutting-edge care. It's important to note that the original hospital building is not a museum. The whole complex is a living, breathing enterprise. The original, historic sections of the hospital are in daily use either for administrative offices, conference space and events, or open to the public for both private and self-guided tours. Our archives and historic medical library are accessible to researchers. These records and book collections are historically signifi- cant and relevant today because they were never created as a collection of rare artifacts or books — but as a working library in a working institution The Woman Who Runs the Oldest Hospital in America By Shannon Barnet "It's important to note that the original hospital building is not a museum. The whole complex is a living, breathing enterprise."

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