Department
History
The history of the Department of Urology is linked to the development
of the Loyola University Medical School, which started earlier in
the century in the era of mergers of proprietary medical colleges
into universities. This reform era occurred as a result of the Flexner
Report condemning the medical education of that time.
In 1909 the Head of the Ignatius College, Father Alexander Burrow,
S.J., called in Rev. H.S. Spalding, S.J., and asked him to lead
an affiliation between St. Ignatius and the Illinois Medical College,
which had started in 1895. He was chosen for this because he had
been Regent of Marquette University Medical School when it was formed.
This expansion of St. Ignatius led to reorganization as a university
under the name of Loyola University. A School of Law had already
been started, giving impetus to the need for formation of the university.
A new campus was purchased (now known as the Lake Shore Campus)
and was used for the non-professional schools. In the Chicago Tribune
of October 18, 1909, the headline read "New University in Chicago."
As this was the era of commercial medical schools with mixed reputations,
the Jesuit Community in Chicago began to take a strong stand in
upgrading the medical care of the community. This also coincided
with a national movement by the AMA to discontinue the proprietary
medical schools. Under Rev. Spalding, consolidation with other medical
schools was carried out, including Bennett Medical College, which
had opened its doors in 1868. In 1915, the name Loyola University
Medical School was formally established for the combined medical
schools.
During this time the physical plant and equipment was less than
ideal. In 1917, Loyola purchased the property of the Chicago College
of Medicine and Surgery at 706 South Wolcott and combined all students
in this new location. This move was fortuitous since the location
was across the street from the Cook County Hospital and half a block
from Rush Medical College. This building had originally been used
by the Woman's Medical College from 1877 until 1902, and - although
a much improved facility over Loyola's existing physical space-it
was already an old building.
The lack of a strong hospital affiliation was resolved in 1919
when an agreement was signed with Mercy Hospital in Chicago after
an existing contract between Mercy and Northwestern University expired.
Mercy Hospital had a distinguished clinical faculty and became the
flagship hospital for Loyola Hospital for many years. The chairmen
of the Department of Urology were all based at Mercy until 1969,
when the present Medical Center was opened.
The Urology Department was actually known as the Department of
Genital-Urinary Diseases until 1938, when it became the Department
of Urology. Although a "department", urology was a subdivision of
the Department of Surgery until 1938, when it was given separate
department status (along with otolaryngology, ophthalmology and
orthopedics).
Frank Phifer, M.D. served as chairman from 1919 until 1934, and
was known for his perineal surgical ability. He gave demonstrations
of perineal prostatectomies in courses held at Cook County, which
were heavily attended, and was instrumental in making Cook County
a major teaching hospital. He started the Cystoscopy Unit there
in 1915. Dr. Phifer, known as gruff and authoritative, probably
kept his chairmanship more because of his surgical renown than his
popularity within the university.
Herbert Landes, M.D. the next chairman (1934-1960), came with distinguished
credentials, having trained with Hugh Young at John's Hopkins and
doing postgraduate work in Vienna. He began a residency program
at Mercy Hospital in 1949. Former students remember Dr. Landes for
two rules: every student would be catheterized during their time
with him, and no female student would be allowed in the GU Clinic
when males were being examined. He was also known for demanding
punctuality, but gave far more time to his teaching responsibilities
than did average clinical professors.
Harry Rolnick, M.D. who wrote an early basic textbook of urology,
was also part of Loyola/Mercy staff before becoming chairman at
Michael Reese Hospital. During the tenure of Dr. Landes, the medical
school faced a financial crisis after World War II. The Archbishop
of Chicago, his Imminence Samuel Cardinal Stritch, raised funds
to stabilize it, leading to an annual award dinner which benefits
the medical school. To recognize this effort, the name of the school
was changed to Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University.
Over time, the relationship of the medical school and Mercy Hospital
became less than ideal, with the school having little control over
hospital appointments. Agreements improving the situation were made
in 1949, but still without a formal affiliation contract being executed.
The post World War II-era again saw pressures for changing medical
education similar to the earlier part of the century (when there
was a shift of proprietary schools to universities). Having a university
hospital in close proximity to the medical school became the new
standard. Just as important was the concept of full-time academic
physicians being responsible for the training programs.
Loyola recognized the need to rebuild the medical school and to
consolidate physically with a hospital. Various ways to accomplish
that goal were considered during the 1950s. A decision to move with
Mercy Hospital to the Northwest area of Chicago was the initial
plan, and land was acquired for this. However, unexpected opposition
to this appeared from many sources and finally the Sisters of Mercy,
who ran Mercy Hospital, decided in 1958 to remain in their South
Side location.
There was a Committee in place during this planning period who
were encouraged by Cardinal Stritch to build a totally new medical
center. After the original site in Northwest Chicago was dropped,
Loyola decided not to build on the South Side with Mercy Hospital
and to look elsewhere.
The city of Chicago had made land available in what became known
as the Westside Medical Center, where Cook County Hospital, Presbyterian-St.
Luke's, Rush University, University of Illinois Medical School and
a VA hospital were all located. However, since Loyola would have
no direct control at Cook County Hospital, this location was not
chosen despite pressure from the city of Chicago.
Several Chicago medical schools used the Veteran's Administration
Hospital at Hines for their training programs. In 1956, Dean Sheehan
of Loyola became Chairman of the Dean's Committee. This and the
interest of Peter Talso, M.D. the first full-time chairman of medicine,
in using Hines more for teaching Loyola students led to recognizing
the potential of Hines as an important teaching base for the school.
Another feature of Hines, not fully appreciated then, was that it
was in the Western suburbs. The prime location of Hines was demonstrated
when in the 1940s, the University of Illinois wanted to build on
adjacent Park District land, arguing that the site was the population
center of metropolitan Chicago. To this day, the location of the
medical center helps recruit patients and hospital staff because
of the prime housing that's convenient to the hospital.
The other three medical schools were slowly withdrawing from Hines
because of the two new VA hospitals built in Chicago adjacent to
Northwestern Medical School and the University of Illinois. Also,
the location of Hines VA was inconvenient for other medical schools,
which were in the central area of Chicago.
As Loyola was increasing its presence at Hines, the VA officials
recognized a need for a single strong medical school relationship
as interest from the other schools declined. This combination of
mutual interest resulted in a formal application in 1961 by the
Rev. James F. McGuire, President of Loyola University, to apply
for land at Hines VA Campus under the Surplus Property Act of 1944.
After a great number of twists and turns, Loyola finally acquired
60 acres by administrative directive. An initial bill in Congress
had been allowed to die in committee due to protest from groups
over a giveaway to a religious institution.
The Loyola University Medical Center was completed in October 1969.
The urology residency at Mercy Hospital was terminated and a program
was started in conjunction with the VA Hines program. Dr. Edward
Wilson, who had trained under Herbert Landes, M.D. had been the
Loyola Chairman of Urology at Mercy Hospital since 1960. Since he
was close to retirement, he elected not to move to the new medical
center, forcing the selection of a new chairman.
Dr. Roland Cross, Jr. had been active in the VA Hines urology
program after completing training there in 1947, and accepted appointment
as the first Chairman of Urology at the new medical center. As was
the case with many other appointments, Dr. Cross was only part-time.
Loyola did not have adequate funds to appoint a full-time staff
when the facility opened, but rather began a long period of building
the medical center to a primarily full-time staff.
As with any new hospital, particularly a more complex university
hospital, the first few years in Maywood were difficult. Instantly,
residency programs were created in several departments using the
established programs at Hines. This occurred with urology, which
make Loyola and Hines the base hospitals for the program. Although,
the program has remained basically unchanged since 1969, its recognition
as a University Urology Program came late, as it was listed under
Hines VA Hospital until the mid 1980s. This was a convenience for
the dean to allow balancing specialty vs. primary residency quotas
as required by Medicare rules. Unfortunately, this delayed recognition
of Loyola as a University Program.
Since the present Loyola program was started as a continuation
of the Hines VA program, it would be appropriate to mention the
background of Hines' urology program. It was started immediately
after World War II with the advent of the Dean's Committee VA Hospitals.
In fact, Hines was a pilot hospital for this change, and under the
Chief of Surgery, C.B. Puestow, M.D. had programs in all surgical
specialties except gynecology. Frederick A. Lloyd, M.D. became the
Section Chief of Urology at Hines, and the first residents completed
the program in 1947. Dr. Lloyd, although initially trained in Chicago,
spent four years in Budapest with Professor Illye and published
extensively. Genitourinary tuberculosis was his main interest.
John R. Canning became Chief of
Urology at Hines after Dr. Lloyd retired in 1976, and had also worked
with Dr. Cross at Loyola beginning in 1969. Subsequently, he became
the Chairman of Urology at Loyola when Dr. Cross retired in 1979.
As stated previously, the first few years of the medical center
were a struggle, but the 1980s were a time of consolidation for
the center and it developed an increasing ability to attract outstanding
clinicians. Cardiovascular Medicine and Surgery had early on become
major services, and helped spur the overall development of the medical
center. Dr. Robert Freeark, Chairman of Surgery, was able to build
his department to a prominent training program with national recognition.
The Urology Department had a strong local reputation for training
clinical urologists, but it was felt that the time had come to obtain
a full-time academic urologist. Therefore, in 1986, Dr.
Robert C. Flanigan was selected, and he brought with him
broad clinical and research experience. Since then the program has
gained national recognition and is noted for its comprehensive clinical
and research training at the University Hospital, Hines VA Hospital,
Children's Memorial Hospital and Lutheran General Hospital.
The Department of Urology became nationally renowned in many areas
of urology, including urologic oncology, pediatric urology, minimally
invasive surgery, renal transplantation, neurourology, female pelvic
medicine, infertility, and erectile dysfunction.
In 1996 the program began fellowship training in minimally invasive
urology, followed by the beginning of a fellowship (in a joint venture
with the Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology) in Female Pelvic Medicine
in 2000.
In addition, very strong basic science and clinical research programs
have been developed in many areas, and many faculty members have
been recognized as leaders in their respective areas of research.
This departmental history was compiled by Dr. John R. Canning.
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