To celebrate Black History Month, the Children’s Mercy Hospital Diversity and Inclusion staff produced a video about the Wheatley-Provident Hospital, Kansas City’s first hospital for Black residents, owned by Black doctors. People from Children’s Mercy were involved in the hospital’s founding. LaBudde Special Collections at UMKC Libraries houses the Children’s Mercy Hospital historical images collection, some of which were used in making the video.
Built in 1909, the Wheatley-Provident Hospital stands on Forest Avenue still; it was in operation from 1916 to 1972, during a time when the heavily segregated Kansas City area meant that Black children and families would have been denied access to medical care otherwise. Long abandoned, the hospital building was purchased in 2018 by a private group, meaning this historical and fascinating building is being maintained and preserved. Explore the Children’s Mercy Hospital Collection in the UMKC Digital Special Collections to further compare and contrast the images of today and yesterday.
