| Norton Healthcare, Inc. | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | , Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Private |
| Hospital type | General |
| Services | |
| Standards | JCAHO accreditation |
| Beds | 1969 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.nortonhealthcare.com |
| Lists | |
| Other links | List of hospitals in the United States |
Norton Healthcare is Kentucky's largest healthcare system with more than 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.
Contents |
The system's most notable locations are five acute care hospitals located within Metro Louisville:
Additionally, Norton Healthcare provides service through twelve immediate care centers in the Louisville area.
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. Additionally, Norton has programs in place to support nursing students attending both public and private universities in Kentucky and Indiana. The Norton Healthcare Scholar Program is designed for nursing students to cover the cost of tuition, books, and room and board. In return, the student must work for Norton for one month per 500 dollars received after graduating. .[1]
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.
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.
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.[2]