Parkland Hospital and Why this Hospital was Selected
The agency I chose was Parkland Hospital because of the many good things they do to
help the poor and indigent in Dallas County. In the past, there have been times when I was
unemployed and without medical insurance. Parkland Hospital has always been there to help me
in my time of need. They have provided me with emergency room care, mammograms,
psychiatric care, vision care, primary physician care, retina specialists, etc. At times, I have
chosen to live in Dallas County because I knew that Parkland Hospital was available to provide
healthcare if needed. I feel the community highly respects this hospital and everything they do
for the Dallas area.
Brief History and Mission of Parkland Hospital
Parkland Hospital has an interesting history. In 1894, Parkland opened in a group of
frame buildings at Maple and Oak Lawn avenues. The name Parkland came from the land on
which the hospital was built, originally purchased by the city as a park. In 1952, groundbreaking
ceremonies were held for the new Parkland hospital at 5201 Harry Hines Blvd. By 1961,
Parkland had become the first hospital to use a kidney dialysis machine; they established the first
kidney dialysis unit; they performed the first corneal transplant; they developed the first nuclear
medicine labs; they performed the first open-heart surgery; they established the first medical
service for pediatric infectious diseases; and they opened one the largest civilian burn units in the
U.S. In 1962, Parkland’s Emergency Room became a model system with the nation’s first nurse-
directed triage system. They also offered the first 24-hour staffed operating room in North Texas.
In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was brought to Parkland after he was shot by an assassin. In
1964, Dr. Paul Peters led a team that performed the first kidney transplant. By 1979, Parkland
, had opened a Surgical Trauma Unit; a Cardiopulmonary Intensive Care Unit; the first High Risk
Maternity Unit; the first Pediatric Burn Unit; a Surgical Intensive Care Unit; an adult Burn
Intensive Care Unit; the first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; the first Neurology/Neurosurgery
Intensive Care Unit; the first 24-hour emergency medical care for rape victims began; nuclear
medicine imaging for myocardial infarction began; and their diabetic patients became the first to
use infusion pumps. By 1988, Parkland had established the first level one and pediatric trauma
centers; an epilepsy treatment center; the North Texas Poison Center; an Arrythmia Management
Center for cardiac patients; a chronic dialysis center; an Acute Stroke Research Unit, and a
primary care program. In 1994, Parkland began an outreach program that provided
comprehensive preventative and primary care in low-income neighborhoods of Dallas. The new
two point eight million square foot Parkland campus is now located on the corner of Harry Hines
Boulevard and Medical District Drive. The new facility was officially dedicated in March, 2015.
At nearly twice the size of the old hospital, the new hospital had been designed, to meet the ever-
changing needs of Dallas County. Dallas County is one of largest, fastest growing counties in
America. In 2015, The Leapfrog Group put Parkland Hospital on its annual list of top hospitals.
Parkland was one of only 98 top hospitals recognized in the Leapfrog Group’s annual survey
(Parkland, 2021d).
Parkland Hospital has a fantastic mandate, mission, vision, and great values. Parkland
Hospital’s mandate is to furnish medical aid and hospital care to indigent and needy persons
residing in the hospital district. Their mission is to be dedicated to the health and well-being of
individuals and communities entrusted to their care. The hospital’s vision is that by their actions,
they will define the standards of excellence for public academic health systems. Parkland’s
values are to provide the best possible care for their patients through compassion, skill, and