The Grady Hospital circa 1940 (Georgia Archives) compared to present day Grady Memorial Hospital

    Opening its doors at the end of the 19th century at the first public hospital to serve the people of Atlanta, Grady Hospital was a symbol of a shift towards in public opinion on progress and innovation. This was particularly true in the field of medicine and the administration of healthcare facilities. Up until the late 1800s, medical institutions were mostly run by religious organizations and were very limited in the ailments that they 'treated' and how those treatments were administered. 

    With the boom in scientific achievements and discoveries during the 19th century, the medical field saw a large improvement in not only medical knowledge/understanding (which allowed for an array of revolutionary and innovative treatments) but also overall sanitation practices and expansion of healthcare beyond those in the upper classes. Grady’s construction marked a significant cultural shift in Atlanta towards more socialist views, at least in regards to healthcare (quality of life programs). 

    The hospital’s location had been selected due to its proximity to Atlanta College of Medicine (present day Emory), which would help further drive the transformation of Atlanta’s healthcare through science and education. The purpose Grady has served since its construction, has been to lead in the advancement of medicine and to improve the overall health of the community in which it has served. 1921 saw Atlanta’s first open-heart surgery performed at Grady. 2 years later, it founded the Steiner Clinic, the “world’s first and largest comprehensive cancer center” (Grady). In the 1940s, it was one of only 3 labs in the world to host a cardiac catheterization lab. Just 7 years ago it saw the creation of the “first neurological surgical suite within a dedicated stroke center to remove blood clots from the brains of stroke victims” (Grady).

    I chose this location because of Dr. Lydgate’s fever hospital in George Eliot’s Middlemarch. The novel was written only 20 years prior to the construction of Grady, and I feel that Eliot’s description of Dr. Lydgate and his efforts to improve the health of citizens of Middlemarch reflect the same principles that led to establishment of Grady in Atlanta. However, unlike Grady’s success, Lydgate and his hospital are thwarted in their scientific progress by the religious and classist customs that govern the community (as well as the financial backing of upper class benefactors - such as Mr. Bulstrode). Lydgate’s struggles against the constricting social norms and his peers within the medical community (all influenced by antiquated classist principles and false notions), exemplifies Eliot’s perception of the affects of class politics on the betterment of society. It serves as an almost 150 year old reminder that socializing healthcare has traditionally served to improve the quality of life within a community.

    It should be noted that in the early 20th century (through the 60s), Grady was actually two hospitals due to segregation. Its roots in America’s racial inequality is still felt today, as it is still common for those of the older generations (especially among Atlanta’s Black community) to call the hospital “the Gradys” (plural) as a result of the racial division that literally divided the hospital during that time period (distrinctly not a very progressive). 

Works Cited:

Lee, Conor. History Atlanta: The Grady Hospital. History Atlanta, 11 Mar. 2015, http://historyatlanta.com/the-grady-hospital/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2020.

Grady: Overview, History & Timeline. GradyHealth, https://www.gradyhealth.org/about-us/. Accessed 20 Nov. 2020.