University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum
UIHC Medical Museum
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer
Reviewed
The Museum serves as an educational resource focusing on the progress of medicine and patient care and emphasizing the major role of University Hospitals in these advances. In this way, the study of health in Iowa illustrates the history of medicine and the health sciences. Through rotating and traveling exhibits of photographs, artifacts, and "hands-on" activities, visitors can view the advances in patient care from the time of the ancients to the present day. The Museum also sponsors a lecture series open to the general public on topics related to current exhibitions, on the history of health care, and on medical and ethical issues.
The makeup of the human body and the facts of disease and injury have remained basically unchanged for thousands of years. However, scientific understanding of the body and of pathological mechanisms has gradually improved, leading to remarkable advances in medical care. Major revolutions in medicine-from antibiotics to robotics-as well as rapidly changing notions of health and health care are documented by the Medical Museum. Our exhibits offer a glimpse into the structure and functions of the human body, and acquaint visitors with some of the most common diseases and injuries. They also show how the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has met these challenges and continues to find new answers as we head into the twenty-first century.
Collecting and Recollecting: Gifts from the Recent Past
A well-worn nurse's cap, an old bottle of "relief medicine," and an x-ray tube from the early days of radiography are just some of the items which have been donated to a growing Medical Museum collection during the past two years. The exhibition, "Collecting and Recollecting," offers an opportunity to reflect upon the history of many recently donated artifacts, many of which were used by Iowa residents. Some date back to the nineteenth century, but most have more recent origins.
Objects of interest to a medical museum are very diverse. The history of medicine and health concerns not only scientific knowledge, but also social, political, religious, economic, and personal events. Donors' anecdotes accompany many of the displays and provide a first-hand account of the effects of medical technology on everyday life.
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum is pleased to offer this "homegrown" exhibition. We are grateful to the many friends who have donated their objects to the Museum; without these contributions, attempts to interpret and illustrate the past would be difficult if not impossible.
Location
The Medical Museum is located in the Patient and Visitor Activities
Center, eighth floor, John W. Colloton Pavilion. Take elevator F at
the first floor atrium of the Colloton Pavilion.
Hours and Tours
The Medical Museum is open from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, 1
pm to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. All programs and exhibitions are free
and open to the public. Tours and special arrangements may be made by
contacting Adrienne Drapkin, Director, at 319/356-7106.
Gifts and Donations
Much of our collection has come as a result of the generosity of
University Hospitals physicians, physician and nurse alumni of the
University of Iowa, their families, and other health professionals.
We welcome your gifts and donations. Contributions can be made to:
The University of lowa Hospitals and Clinics
The first University Hospital was opened with 100 beds in a
three-story brick building on the University's east campus in 1898.
By 1914, the hospital had grown to 240 beds and also cared for nearly
2,000 ambulatory clinic patients annually. In 1915 and 1919, two
historic laws, the Perkins Bill and the Haskell-Klaus Act, extended
University Hospitals' mission to offer health care to all Iowans,
regardless of their ability to pay. The Hospital also served as a
clinical training site for doctors and nurses and as a center for
medical research. By 1919, significantly expanded health care
facilities were needed. The Children's Hospital (renamed the
Steindler Building in 1983) and Psychopathic Hospital (now
Psychiatric Hospital) were constructed on the west campus and began
serving patients in 1919.
Even with these additions, the increased patient care requirements exceeded the capacity of the main hospital. More space was needed. A new 700-bed General Hospital with its landmark Gothic tower was opened at the current site in 1928. Since then, the physical plant and the number of patients served have continued to expand.
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) now cares for nearly 500,000 hospital and ambulatory patients each year in 251 medical specialty clinics. As a teaching hospital, The UIHC serves as the prime clinical training base for the University of Iowa's health science education programs. These programs prepare the professionals necessary to staff Iowa's community-based health care delivery systems in the future. More than 2,500 students are trained each year in 35 different educational programs; on any given day there are more than 1,200 students training in the University Hospitals. The UIHC also serves as a base for clinical research conducted by faculty from the University of Iowa's health science colleges. Intensive research efforts have enabled the University Hospitals to be an innovator in developing and implementing many new patient care procedures. UIHC's modern facilities, state-of-the-art medical technology, and over 7,500 specialized patient-care professional and support staff, are a solid foundation for providing Iowans with high-quality health care now and in the future.
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