University of Virginia Health System

Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, the University of Virginia Health System embodies the leadership and inventiveness personified by its founder, Thomas Jefferson. Two centuries ago, Jefferson established the University of Virginia and the nation's 10th medical school, which has since grown into a nationally renowned academic medical center committed to providing outstanding patient care, educating tomorrow's health care leaders and discovering better ways to treat disease.

"Without health, there is no happiness. An attention to health, then,
should take the place of every other object."
T. Jefferson

When "Mr. Jefferson" completed his designs for the University of Virginia, provision was made for a medical building called the Anatomical Hall. Completed in 1826, this building contained a theater for anatomical and medical demonstrations for university students. Dr. Robley Dunglison, recruited from London by Jefferson, was the first medical faculty member and the first full-time professor of medicine in the United States. The community of Charlottesville was at that time too small and isolated to support a hospital, so medical courses at the University proceeded on theory and anatomical study rather than on practical experiences offered by hospital treatment. Over the next several decades, a dispensary and then infirmary were opened to provide needed medical care for students and some services for local community residents who also served as models for the medical classes. But establishment of full-service medical facilities for the general public and improved clinical experiences for students would await a new generation of University leaders.

In 1889, Dr. Paul Brandon Barringer joined the University faculty as a professor of physiology and surgery. Barringer was of this "new generation", attuned to the advances in medical science then being made. He instituted many improvements including increased attention to laboratory investigations, use of the microscope, and a steady expansion in the years of study required for a medical degree. As Chairman of the Faculty, then the University's highest administrative position, Dr. Barringer tirelessly promoted the establishment of modern clinical facilities at the University.

In 1893, the medical faculty recommended to the University's Board of Visitors that a modern hospital be constructed on the University grounds. A 150-bed facility was designed, consisting of a central building linked by a single corridor to a pair of flanking pavilions. After intensive planning and fund-raising, the first building of the University of Virginia Hospital opened on April 13, 1901, Thomas Jefferson's birthday.

1826	1901	1930s	2005

Today, the UVa Hospital has grown into the Health System, representing a network of facilities that support and integrate patient care and health education, research and public service:

• The University of Virginia Medical Center is an integrated network of primary and specialty care services ranging from wellness programs and routine checkups to the most technologically advanced care. The hub of the Medical Center is a full-service, tertiary-care hospital with over 500 beds in operation and a state-designated Level 1 trauma center. Primary and specialty care is also provided at many clinic locations throughout Central Virginia.
  
  
• The University of Virginia School of Medicine is ranked 10th in the nation among state-assisted medical schools and consistently attracts the nation's brightest students and most distinguished faculty members. Awarded millions of dollars in funding each year, the School of Medicine's 23 research centers are making discoveries resulting in new and better therapies, especially in the areas of cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, and vaccine development.
  
  
• The University of Virginia School of Nursing has earned a national reputation for excellence in education, research and practice. Ranked among the nation's top 25 public nursing schools, the UVa School of Nursing offers undergraduate, master's level and doctoral programs.
  
  
• The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library offers expert information services in every area of medicine. Open to the public and recently remodeled, this state-of-the-art library has a staff of skilled professionals available to help health care specialists and patients find the latest health news and on-line information and discover UVa's rich history in the development of modern medicine. The HS Library is a unique, comprehensive online library providing access to dozens of full-text online journals and a research liaison service.
  
  
• The Health Services Foundation is the physician group practice that manages billing for UVa physicians.

A Short History of the BEST PUBLIC University
UVa School of Medicine Factbook
UVa Hospital Centennial
UVa Health System Awards