History Center in Review: PRISMA Health Upstate
In 2006, Heurista’s longest standing client assigned a permanent location for telling the history of medicine as practiced in the region. The history center is located in the most public corridor of the health system’s flagship facility. Heurista has worked with the system archivist/lead medical librarian and subject matter experts from within the system to develop a series of exhibits that celebrate the accomplishments of local healthcare providers, their contributions to the community, and the impact of the system on the field of health care. Many hours go into fine-tuning each exhibit so it is accurate, branded, and appropriate to a wide audience. The exhibits have helped bridge multiple name and brand changes for the hospital system. The most recent was the merger between Greenville Health System and Palmetto Health resulting in Prisma Health, the largest healthcare system in South Carolina.
History Displays Throughout the Years
The inaugural exhibit celebrated the Greenville Hospital System School of Nursing which opened its doors in 1911, one day before the hospital, and trained nurses until it closed in 1974. Drawing from a substantial archive of historical information and artifacts, subsequent exhibits have highlighted children’s medicine, the size and scope of the GHS system, the system’s centennial anniversary, and the importance of academic and clinical education to provide a pipeline of healthcare workers for the regional community, and orthopedic surgery. Future exhibits may include obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, neurology, and mental health.
2017 Update: Orthopaedic Surgery
2021 Update: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Heurista frequently encourages nonprofits to include historical storytelling in their facilities and online messages. It provides interpretation and context for other messages, especially donor recognition and works to engage all audiences with the mission and accomplishments within that community specifically.
Written By Anne Manner-McLarty
Anne Manner-McLarty is the managing editor of the Journal of Donor Relations and Stewardship. She founded Heurista in 2011, a leading resource for consulting specific to donor relations and stewardship, with particular expertise in the donor recognition program design and implementation.