Mass General Hospital: Organizational Learning and Systems Thinking

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), founded in 1811, is the third oldest hospital in the United States. Instrumental in the creation of MGH were two physicians, James Jackson and John Collins Warren. The founders’ bold vision was two-fold: provide the most advanced, humane medical care possible and raise the standards of medical education in New England. Drs. Jackson and Warren established the New England Journal of Medicine, and ushered in an era of “firsts” – like being the first to use ether during surgery - that continue to this day. This history of achievement has resulted in MGH having the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with a budget of more than $200 million.  In 1994, MGH joined with Brigham and Women’s Hospital to form Partners HealthCare System, Inc. The objective of this collaboration is to enhance patient care, teaching, and research, as well as to provide an integrated health care delivery system to patients throughou...