Norton Healthcare
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Norton Healthcare is Kentucky's largest healthcare system with 40 locations in and around Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1886, Norton's current major products include pediatrics; women's services; orthopedics; cardiac care; stroke care; advanced surgical services; cancer diagnosis, prevention, and treatment; and a neurospine center.
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[edit] Major facilities
The system's most notable locations are four acute care hospitals located within Metro Louisville:
- Kosair Children's Hospital (263 licensed beds) - Kentucky's only free-standing full-service children's hospital
- Norton Audubon Hospital (480 licensed beds)
- Norton Hospital & Norton Healthcare Pavilion (719 licensed beds)
- Norton Suburban Hospital (380 licensed beds)
Additionally, Norton Healthcare provides service through seven immediate care centers in the Louisville area.
[edit] Employment and market share
According to Business First of Louisville, Norton Healthcare is the Louisville area's third largest employer, with 9,400 employees (2006; previous years: 8,525 employees, 2005; 7,850 in 2004). Norton employs some 3,000 nurses and has more than 2,000 affiliated physicians. When compared to other healthcare providers in Louisville, Kentucky, Norton is the market share leader in five major areas. This includes 46% of all inpatient admissions, 61% of all births, 53% of all Emergency Department visits, 41% of all outpatient visits, and 50% of total surgeries.
[edit] History
What is now known as Norton Healthcare originally started with the actions of the Home Mission Society of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Mary Louise Sutton Norton led this group, through her fund raising ideas and leadership, to create The John N. Norton Memorial Infirmary in 1886, which was named in honor of her late husband. The hospital system has had multiple influences from religious groups over the years, including the Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, and the Louisville Catholic communities, all of which were dedicated to promoting the idea of health and medical care for the sickly and less fortunate.
Also of note is Norton's Kosair Children's Hospital, opened in 1892, dedicated to assisting children with any form of illness or injury. For over 30 years, Kosair hospital was run entirely by a workforce consisting of 99% volunteer members. In more recent decades, Kosair has become a leader in regional medical care and positive community activities for children, regardless of their parents' or caretakers' abilities to pay for Kosair's services.
[edit] Planned growth
In March 2006, Norton Healthcare received state approval to move the inpatient beds at its smallest hospital, Norton Southwest Hospital, to a new hospital at the Old Brownsboro Crossing development in northeast Louisville. The acute care beds at Norton Southwest Hospital were deactivated, and the location has since been re-named Norton Southwest Medical Center. The facility retains a full-service Emergency Department, physician offices, a variety of outpatient services, and an inpatient nursing and rehabilitation facility (Park Terrace) operated by a third party.
The first phase of the new development is an outpatient care center called Norton Medical Plaza which opened on July 10, 2006. The second phase will be a 127-bed acute care hospital. On September 13, 2006, Norton officials announced that hospital would be named Norton Brownsboro Hospital.[1]
