Michael Reese Hospital

The original Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago was constructed in 1881 as a non-discriminating hospital for the poor. The original building was replaced in 1907 with the "Main" Michael Reese building, and a number of subsidiary buildings followed. Currently, the campus extends over 37 acres - but over the years most of the buildings have been closed and almost all operations have consolidated to one building. Despite its many accomplishments over the years (see list below), the hospital (like most that cater to the poor) has been losing money and slowly closing down since the mid-90's. The city recently announced that they will purchase the campus and raze it in order to build the Olympic Village for the stupid 2016 Olympics. The demolition could begin as soon as fall, 2008. Another landmark bites the dust for the crime of inhabiting desirable real estate.

Medical research that occurred on these hallowed grounds include:

Louis Katz, the Medical Research Institute's first full-time investigator and former president of the American Heart Association, was one of the first to explore the relation of coronary heart disease to cholesterol concentration in the blood.

Cardiovascular Institute researchers Dr. Alfred Pick and Dr. Richard Langendorf, perfected the use of the electrocardiograph.

Leonidas Berry was a pioneer in the development and use of the gastroscope.

Dr. Samuel Soskin and Dr. Rachmiel Levine made important discoveries about the "gatekeeper" action in insulin, which is of fundamental importance to the understanding of diabetes.

Dr. Albert Milzer and his research team were the first to kill the polio virus and make an effective vaccine against this debilitating virus.