1896 - Mrs. Schierbaum left $4,000 for the purpose of starting a Lutheran charitable institution in the city of Cleveland.  Lutheran Hospital opened at Fulton and West 29th Street in a residence that was rented for $42 per month.  Twenty-five patients were admitted the first year.

 

1898 - Lutheran Hospital moved to a larger residence on Franklin Avenue with 105 patients.

 

1907 - A school of nursing was opened and a two-story brick annex was added.

 

1921 - A large expansion project added 110 beds, four operating rooms, a maternity department, nurse's quarters and an x-ray department.

 

1945 - A ground floor wing was completed for x-ray, laboratory and urology facilities.

 

1949 - A new west wing was opened featuring innovations such as automatic doors, an air-conditioned surgical suite and oxygen piped into each patient room.

 

1957 - A $1,000,000 fundraising campaign was endorsed as the first public fund drive in hospital history.  Ground was broken for a new C wing along Vestry Avenue and a North-South B wing connecting the old with the new parts.  Other updates included a new emergency suite, laboratory, pharmacy, laundry and housekeeping areas, offices, dining room, gift and coffee shops and a chapel.

 

1960 - The first cobalt "bomb" of its kind in the U.S. was installed with an $85,000 financial gift, increasing awareness of Lutheran Hospital's growing reputation for cancer treatment.

 

1971 - Lutheran Hospital established a long-term relationship with the Cleveland Indians; offering a team of physicians to care for the ball club's medical needs.  This partnership enhanced Lutheran Hospital's reputation for sports medicine, rehabilitation and orthopaedics, which continue through today.

 

1976 - The new Medical Arts Building was dedicated, reflecting a unique concept of outpatient care by combining private office practices with an ambulatory care unit along with medical education programs.

 

1981 - Lutheran Hospital opened a pioneering Medical Geropsychiatric Program becoming the only specialized inpatient psychiatric service in the city dedicated to the mental health problems of the elderly.

 

1986 - Lutheran Hospital joined Fairview Hospital to form Health Cleveland, Inc.

 

1988 - Spine surgeons joined Lutheran Hospital.  The former nursing school facility was converted into a new Cleveland Spine and Arthritis Center.

 

1995 - The Fairview Health System merged the staffs of Lutheran and Fairview Hospitals into one team, replacing Health Cleveland.

 

1996 - Lutheran Hospital celebrated its 100-year anniversary.

 

1997 - Lutheran Hospital became part of the Cleveland Clinic Health System and the hospital received a much-needed facelift.  A new hospital entrance and lobby was built facing West 25th Street to ease traffic flow and make the hospital more accessible to the community.

 

2000 - Lutheran Hospital formed the Cleveland Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital featuring seven highly specialized orthopaedic medical and surgical centers.  The centers' leading edge techniques and renowned surgeons have been significant factors in Lutheran Hospital's resurgence in recent years.

 

2002 - A $1.5 million Health Center was opened in response to the community's need for primary care services.

 

2003 - Lutheran Hospital received a perfect score from the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the only such score ever achieved by an Ohio hospital.  Only 1 in 500 hospitals in the nation receive this score.

 

2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 - Lutheran Hospital was named a Northcoast 99 winner, which honors the best 99 places to work in Northeast Ohio.

 

2005 - Lutheran Hospital opened the Castele Learning Center, a modern conference facility featuring a state-of-the-art theatre style auditorium, pre-function room for exhibition and catering and an adjacent bio-skills laboratory for lecturing and hands-on learning.  The Wound Healing Center is an offsite location which was opened to offer unique services to the community.  Cleveland Clinic adult inpatient psychiatric services were relocated to Lutheran Hospital.

 

2008 - A new Cleveland Clinic Center for Mood Disorders Treatment and Research was established at Lutheran Hospital, offering a unique program for adults with primary mood disorders such as major depression and bipolar disorder.  It is the first program in Northeast Ohio to offer both inpatient and outpatient programs dedicated to treating mood disorders.  Cleveland Clinic Center for Spine Health Research Lab was moved to Lutheran Hospital.  The center focuses on improving the quality of life for people with spinal disorders through research and education.  It aims to take scientifically sound results and develop marketable clinical applications.  Lutheran Hospital Medical offices also opened on West 65th Street and Franklin.  This location offers primary care to the community and focuses on the Spanish community, offering doctors who speak both English and Spanish.

 

Today - Lutheran Hospital is a 204-bed hospital offering quality medical care, cutting-edge technology and advanced research and surgery.  From primary care physicians to leading specialists, Lutheran Hospital offers expert care in areas such as Family Medicine, Orthopaedics, Spine, Pain Management, General Surgery, Behavioral Health, Chronic Wound Care, Heart Care, Diagnostic and Lab Services, Emergency Care and Rehabilitation Services.  Lutheran Hospital is committed to providing advanced medical care in an intimate and friendly environment.  Located in a vibrant and rejuvenated Ohio City, Lutheran Hospital is convenient to downtown Cleveland, trendy restaurants, shopping and sporting events.