South Side Untold: The First Black-Owned and Operated Hospital in America
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams became Northwestern’s first African-American medical school graduate and later established the nation’s first Black-owned and operated hospital on Chicago’s South Side.
Image Credit: Chicago Southsider; Provident Hospital of Cook County is located at 500 E. 51st St., Chicago, IL 60615.
Hey there, Chicago Southsiders,
Hope your Valentine’s Day weekend was lovely—if that’s something you celebrate. When the snow started flirting with the ground last night, I decided to stay indoors, grab my fuzzy slippers, and think up tonight’s newsletter.
After chatting with several women on the South Side about the rising number of fibroid diagnoses, I started pondering healthcare and the remarkable pioneers who paved the way right here in our backyard.
For instance, did you know Dr. Daniel Hale Williams opened the nation’s first Black-owned and operated hospital on the South Side? Provident Hospital debuted in 1891, and just two years later (around the same time as Chicago’s World Fair), Williams became the first surgeon to successfully perform open-heart surgery on a human. Talk about putting the South Side on the medical history map!
Read more about Dr. Daniel Hale Williams here.
And before you head out, could you do me a huge Valentine’s Day favor and check out our South Side Untold podcast on YouTube? We’re sitting at 85 subscribers—just 15 shy of our first 100—and every click helps us gather the resources to keep this podcast alive. Right now, we’re using AI voice services (plus that fancy Adobe subscription) to bring our vision to life, but we’d love to share even more South Side stories and get more people involved with your support!
Thank you for being part of this journey. Until next time!
—Charlene Rhinehart
Publisher, Chicago Southsider 🖤
South Side History At a Glance
Meet the Father of Black History. 27 Surprising Facts About Carter G. Woodson and Black History Month That Will Inspire You
Do You Know Jesse Binga? Meet the Founder of the First Black-Owned Bank on Chicago’s South Side.
Medical Pioneer on Chicago’s South Side. Meet the First Surgeon to Successfully Perform an Open-Heart Surgery on a Human.
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Warm regards,
Chicago Southsider
Thanks for this bit of history!