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A RESOLUTION honoring the 60th anniversary of the University of Kentucky 1
Albert B. Chandler Hospital. 2
WHEREAS, medical care in Kentucky in the early 20th century was dire, with one 3
of every three Kentuckians examined for military service during World War II being 4
deemed medically unfit for duty; and 5
WHEREAS, in 1949, there were more than 5,000 unattended births in Kentucky, 6
and Kentucky ranked near the bottom in physician-to-patient ratio, with an estimated 7
1,400 additional doctors needed in the state; and 8
WHEREAS, numerous reports issued by independent sources, a cadre of the 9
University of Kentucky's most respected professors, and the Legislative Research 10
Commission consistently recommended that a medical center at the University of 11
Kentucky was needed to improve access to health care for Kentuckians; and 12
WHEREAS, mounting concerns swelled, as it was projected the Commonwealth 13
would be 2,000 physicians below the national average by 1965 if immediate efforts were 14
not taken to create another medical school in the state; and 15
WHEREAS, in June 1954, the UK Board of Trustees committed to fulfilling the 16
University of Kentucky's original charter to create a medical college and associated 17
medical center once funds became available; and 18
WHEREAS, former Governor Albert B. Chandler promised during his 1955 19
gubernatorial re-election campaign that, if elected, he would build and appropriate the 20
necessary funds for a medical college; and 21
WHEREAS, in a true demonstration of bipartisanship, Governor Bert T. Combs, 22
Chandler's successor, gave full support to the completion and operation of the medical 23
center, and the Kentucky General Assembly designated $5 million to construct a medical 24
science building and related science buildings at UK; and 25
WHEREAS, in May 1956, the UK Board of Trustees resolved to establish a 26
complete academic medical center at a cost of $27.8 million, of which State funds 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 1838
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provided nearly $17.1 million while approximately $10.7 million in federal money was 1
used; and 2
WHEREAS, William R. Willard, MD, was selected as the founding vice president 3
of the UK Medical Center and the UK College of Medicine's first dean, and was charged 4
with turning a cornfield into a modern medical complex; and 5
WHEREAS, it was the local medical community, the Fayette County Medical 6
Society, and the Kentucky Medical Foundation that publicly championed, and were 7
paramount in gaining, legislative support for a medical college at its land-grant, public 8
university; and 9
WHEREAS, a steering committee of civic leaders and physicians, appointed by 10
Dean Willard, pushed for the development of a state-funded medical center in Lexington, 11
and the aspirations of those founding fathers and mothers live on today as local providers 12
and alumni serve as volunteer faculty, donors, advocates, and champions; and 13
WHEREAS, together as one community, elected officials, community advocates, 14
and healthcare champions achieved what many believed was a lofty goal, and in April 15
1962, the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital opened its doors and 16
welcomed its first patients; and 17
WHEREAS, since opening its doors, UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital has evolved 18
into the UK HealthCare system, operating three hospitals with more than 60 outpatient 19
clinics, serving more than 40,000 patients in its hospitals, and conducting more than 2.2 20
million outpatient visits annually; and 21
WHEREAS, UK HealthCare operates the region's only Level I Trauma Center, 22
Level IV Regional Perinatal Center, and the Commonwealth's only National Cancer 23
Institutes Designated Cancer Center, and is designated an extracorporeal membrane 24
oxygenation Center of Excellence; and 25
WHEREAS, UK HealthCare's commitment to care has earned UK Albert B. 26
Chandler Hospital recognition by U.S. News and World Report as the best hospital in 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 1838
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Kentucky for the last six years in a row; 1
NOW, THEREFORE, 2
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 3
Kentucky: 4
Section 1. The Senate hereby honors the 60th anniversary of the University of 5
Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital and designates April 24th, 2022, as Albert B. 6
Chandler Hospital Appreciation Day in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to commemorate 7
the contributions and benefits of UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital, and UK HealthCare, to 8
the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 9
Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 10
Resolution to Senator Robert Stivers. 11