History
Michael Reese Hospital
Michael Reese Hospital opened in October 1881 at the corner of 29th and Groveland Park Avenues in Chicago. The hospital was constructed from the proceeds of a sizable bequest from a San Francisco businessman, Michael Reese, and the United Hebrew Relief Association. During its first century Michael Reese Hospital became an international leader in medical research and education.
Research & Education Foundation
Subsequent to the sale of Michael Reese Hospital to Humana Healthcare in 1990, the medical staff sought the creation of a foundation to carry on the research, education, and community service activities that had been so characteristic of Michael Reese Hospital since its founding. Thus, in February 1991 the Research & Education Foundation of the Michael Reese Medical Staff was incorporated. The Research Foundation has maintained this tradition through its sponsorship of numerous government and private foundation grants, as well as pharmaceutical supported clinical research studies on the Michael Reese Campus.
In addition, the Research & Education Foundation has continued the tradition of independent fund raising in support of pilot research studies and community service grants at Michael Reese. The main component of this fundraising effort has been the Foundation’s continuation of the Michael Reese Crystal Ball which originated under the Medical Research Institute Council (MRIC) at Michael Reese Hospital in 1959. To date, the Foundation has raised and awarded over $3M in grants for these programs.
In 2008 Michael Reese Hospital announced that it was closing. Nevertheless, the Foundation sought to establish partnerships with other institutions that would allow it to continue to offer its community service medical programs. First, the Research Foundation entered into an affiliation with the Hektoen Institute of Medicine and moved its corporate offices into space owned by Hektoen. The Foundation’s women’s health, family planning, and community outreach programs relocated to clinics at MetroSouth Hospital & Medical Center in Blue Island, Illinois. The HIV Care program relocated its services to clinics located at Mercy Hospital in Chicago.