Historical perspective

With the establishment of the Department of Medical Education in 1957, and dedicated research labs being constructed in 1959, advancements at Good Samaritan Hospital were progressing at a rapid pace. To meet this need, a department dedicated solely to medical and surgical developments was begun in 1967 with the appointment of Dr. John Vester as Director of Medical Research. With surgeons William P. Mulvaney, Frank H. Mayfield, John J. Cranley and Ranjit K. Rath immensely involved in basic science and animal research, funding for studies and surgical resident involvement continued to expand throughout the institution. A tremendous transition for the Department of Medical Research occurred in 1997 when Dr. E. Kenneth Hatton generously donated a large philanthropic gift to further support the mission of Good Samaritan Hospital and its dedication to excellence in education and research, establishing the E. Kenneth Hatton MD Institute for Research and Education. J. Robert Johnson PhD, along with Dr.'s Vester and Hatton, contributed significantly to the growth and development of the Department of Medical Research, and the national reputation that it now holds as the Hatton Institute. Johnson, well known for developing the anti-rejection serum used in renal transplants, assumed the role of Director of the Department of Medical Research after Vester retired in 1991. Dr. J. Michael Smith, current Director of Surgical Research for the E. Kenneth Hatton MD Institute for Research and Education, played an instrumental role in helping to secure the purchase of the first da Vinci surgical system in the greater Cincinnati region in early 2003. Extremely active in the field of surgical robotics, Dr. Smith used the da Vinci system in April 2003 to perform the first open heart procedure in the city of Cincinnati, and has become a regional and international pioneer in robotic assisted surgery.

Since the beginning of Good Samaritan Hospital in 1852, advancements through surgical research have continued to culminate from the hard work and dedication of highly motivated individuals. From the first reported gastrectomy, tarsectomy, and surgery on the brain to the development of the Mayfield clip and headrest system, Fogarty balloon embolectomy catheter and clamp, Cranley-Grass Phleborheograph, and developing the first ultrasonic lithotripsy to break up urinary calculi, research has played an instrumental role in the history and progression of Good Samaritan Hospital and its Department of Surgery, which continues to maintain a rigorous program of surgical education and research for physicians in training.