Five Fun Facts About Lancaster General Hospital’s History

1. In April 1917, part of the hospital’s grounds, near the corner of Lime and Frederick streets, was turned into a vegetable garden as part of the national effort to provide food for the United States and its allies during World War I. LG Health continues its gardening with an herb garden at the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute. The herbs grown in the garden are used in menu items offered at the Cancer Institute’s café.
   
2. With the patients’ beds side-by-side, the first blood transfusion took place in 1918. The two-hour procedure took place under the supervision of an intern and a laboratory technician. Last year, LG Health collected over 8,390 units of blood for patients in need through the Blood Donor Center and community drives.
   
3. Hannah Seitzik, MD, was appointed to a medical internship with Lancaster General Hospital in 1922. She was the hospital’s first female intern. In May 2018, LG Health welcomed 13 new residents to the Family Medicine Residency program, 10 of whom were women.
   
4. In 1940, Lancaster General Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital partnered in a cooperative agreement to sponsor the Inter- County Hospitalization Plan of Abington. This was the first time the public was offered the opportunity to purchase health insurance. In 2016, LG Health established Eliance Health Solutions, a service that offers companies with 20 or more employees exclusive self-funded health plans and administrative services, along with coordinated LG Health Wellness and Occupational Medicine programs.
   
5. Following a two-year expansion, Lancaster General Hospital opened four new floors in 1959. This expansion enabled the hospital to treat patients for the first time in an air-conditioned facility. Fifty-nine years later, in 2018, LGH completed its most recent expansion with construction of the Frederick Building, which enabled