Today's post is dedicated to McLean Hospital. I want to share some history of this place, as well as some information I've gained from working here.
McLean Hospital is a psychiatric hospital, meaning it deals mostly with treatment and research of mental disorders. It's a privately funded institution, so plenty of their clients have been wealthy or famous. This includes John Nash (you may recognize him as the subject of A Beautiful Mind), Sylvia Plath, James Taylor, Ray Charles, Susanna Kaysen (author of Girl, Interrupted), Stephen Tyler, and Zelda Fitzgerald (wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald).
The institution was originally founded in Charlestown, MA in 1811, under the inspirational name "Asylum for the Insane." It was the first hospital in New England.
This establishment achieved its present name in 1892 "in recognition of the present broader views upon the subject of insanity and its treatment" as well as its largest early benefactor, John McLean, and moved to Belmont, MA in 1895.
Interestingly enough, the new location was essentially guided and designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the architect of NYC's Central Park and the "Emerald Necklace" parks in Boston. He also designed many academic campuses, including Smith College, Yale University, Bentley University, and Phillips Academy of Andover.
Beginning in the 1990's, McLean fell into financial troubles, leading to the sale and renovation of a significant portion of their grounds. While controversial within the town, the decision served to alleviate some of the financial strain.
McLean Hospital takes pride in its history and its mission of treatment, teaching, and research. It is currently ranked as America's 3rd best hospital for psychiatry, trailing Mass General Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Sources:
http://www.mclean.harvard.edu/about/history/
http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/psychiatry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLean_Hospital
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