Hospeco history

1923: Henry Gerstenberger, MD, received a patent for infant formula known as SMA (Synthetic Milk Adapted), developed at Babies Dispensary and Children’s Hospital in collaboration with Harold Ruh, MD, and biochemist William Frohring.

1924: Babies’ Dispensary and Hospital moved to University Circle and was renamed Babies and Children’s Hospital.

1925: UH became the first multihospital system in northeast Ohio, comprising Lakeside Hospital, Babies and Children’s Hospital and Maternity Hospital.

1927: Rainbow Hospital joined University Hospitals but remained in South Euclid.

1929: Harry Coulby designated in his will that the bulk of his $3.2 million estate be left to The Cleveland Foundation, with half the money designated for the benefit of Lakeside Hospital.

Golden earned a bachelors degree from Case Western Reserve University and a law degree from the John Marshall Law School but eschewed a legal career to found the Golden Tobacco Co. in 1931.

With the help of wife Miriam and an $800 initial investment, Golden ran the business--renamed Ace Cigarette Service Co. in 1933--from his kitchen table.

1934: Harry Goldblatt, MD, described the role of the kidneys in hypertension (high blood pressure), laying the foundation for the discovery of renin and eventually the development of enzyme-inhibitor medications to treat chronic hypertension.

1935: Claude Beck, MD, performed the first operation for coronary artery disease.

1939: Charles I. Thomas, MD, performed the first corneal transplant in Northeast Ohio, paving the way to restored vision for millions of people.

1941: The Lakeside Unit was reactivated and deployed to the South Pacific to staff the first American military hospital in World War II.

1944: Walter Heymann, MD, began research on kidney disease in children.

Ace Cigarette was incorporated in 1946, by which time it was already one of America's largest cigarette vendors.

1947: Claude Beck, MD, performed the first successful defibrillation of a human heart.

Cofounder a Physical Therapist in 1950

1951: James Reagan, MD, pioneered cytopathology for cancer detection and introduced diagnostic terminology for Pap smear results reporting, including dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and squamous carcinoma.

1952: Use of chloramphenicol in blood disease was developed by Austin Weisberger, MD.

1953: Frank Nulsen, MD, pioneered pressure-regulated one-way valves for the treatment of hydrocephalus (water on the brain). He, along with Charles Herndon, MD, and Lester Persky, MD, also established one of the first hydrocephalus and myelodysplasia clinics for children in the country.

1954: Louis Pillemer, PhD, in collaboration with Irwin Lepow, PhD, and Enrique Ecker, PhD, discovered an alternative pathway for the immune response that does not involve antibodies.

1955: Alan Moritz, MD, known as the Father of Forensic Pathology, worked to establish forensic pathology as a medical subspecialty and influenced the development of a professional United States medical examiner system, displacing lay coroners in that position.

1956: The Howard M. Hanna Pavilion opened on the University Circle campus for the care of psychiatric patients.

Annual sales surpassed $6.5 million by 1957, when profits totaled about $83,750.

In 1958, with $10,000 borrowed from his brother, the 26-year-old Ortenzio launched his own physical therapy practice in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

1959: Geauga Community Hospital (today UH Geauga Medical Center, a campus of UH Regional Hospitals) opened.

The family took the company public and changed its name to Ace Vending Co. to reflect its broadened activities in 1961.

In 1962, the company acquired Consumers Cigarette Service Co., Seaway Vending Co., and Hospital Specialty Co., a business that would prove key to AAV's long-term growth.

Swifty Food Commissaries, Inc., a Cleveland catering company, was acquired in 1963, by which time AAV ranked as 'Ohio's largest operator of vending equipment.'

1965: Kenneth Ryan, MD, was the first in the world to describe how human ovaries produce estrogen from two types of specialized ovarian cells, laying the foundation for advances in female health.

1967: The Robert H. Bishop Building on the University Circle campus opened.

1968: S.S.C. Yen, MD, developed the first radioimmunoassay techniques for the measurement of three important pregnancy hormones, enhancing the evaluation of maternal and infant health in pregnancy.

In 1969 Ortenzio envisioned a chain of rehabilitation hospitals where cardiac patients and others could receive more in-depth rehabilitation services, but the concept was well ahead of its time.

Having surpassed many of his growth goals, Golden moved to Florida in 1970 and was succeeded by his son-in-law, Robert S. Reitman, that same year.

By 1971, American Automatic Vending boasted over 20,000 vending machines in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Florida and ranked among the top ten players in the industry.

In 1972 Ortenzio took Rehab Corp. public and two years later it merged with American Sterilizer Co.

Golden continued as chairman until 1973, when Reitman assumed that title as well.

1974: Rainbow Hospital merged with Babies and Children’s Hospital to become Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.

1976: John R. Haaga, MD, pioneered the use of computed tomography (CT) to guide biopsies, nerve blocks, abscess drainage and cancer treatment, significantly reducing the need for patients to have open surgery.

1978: Research technique to record accurate cardiac output was developed by Herman K. Hellerstein, MD, Anthony Bacevice, MD, and Peter Katona, MD.

Starting a Second Company in 1979

1980: Irwin Merkatz, MD, conducted the first clinical trials of ritodrine, the first Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to inhibit pre-term labor, at UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital.

In 1981, he began to execute a reorganization strategy that shed two-thirds of his company's operations and created an entirely new corporate focus.

Helping him to run the business was his son, Robert, a 1982 graduate of Dickinson Law School, who started out as legal counsel.

Wymor went on to become president of Cleveland Cotton Products, which formed the core of the parent company's Industrial Wiping Division, contributing over half of total annual revenues by 1983.

1984: Founded as Family Hospital Physician Associates, the company is established by hospital bookkeeper Elizabeth “Betty” Brinn in Wisconsin.

Rehab Hospital Services would be acquired by National Medical Enterprises Inc. in 1985.

After the sale of Rehab Hospital Services, he wasted little time in starting his third company, launching Continental Medical Systems (CMS) in 1986.

1987: Jerrold Ellner, MD, and Frederick Robbins, MD, established a memorandum of understanding with Makerere University in Uganda, linking Cleveland and Kampala AIDS research and care efforts.

Industrial wiping cloths, which Reitman called 'new rags' in a 1988 Crain's Cleveland Business article, were tailored to customers' requirements for strength, absorbency, and texture.

The 1989 purchase of J.C. Baxter Co. formed the core of Tranzonic's industrial packaging division, which made spiral-wound paper tubes and cores for industrial and consumer markets.

1990: Anthony Maniglia, MD, was awarded the first of five patents leading to technology for developing the totally implantable cochlear implant.

In 1992, Tranzonic bought Tambrands Inc.'s Maxithins sanitary pad business, giving the company a nationally recognized addition to its line of feminine hygiene products.

Intensiva was founded in 1994, went public two years later, and now generated more than $100 million in annual revenues from 22 long-term, acute-care hospitals.

For the full fiscal year Tranzonic reported sales of $137.2 million, up 8 percent from the prior year, and a net loss of $2.4 million, compared to a net profit of $5.3 million in fiscal 1995.

1996: The company is incorporated.

Tranzonic acquired Unity Paper Tubes from Wyndeham Press Group plc in March of 1997.

1998: American Transitional Hospitals and Intensiva Healthcare Corporation is acquired.

The debt load now stood at slightly more than $200 million, a significant improvement over the amount the company owed in 1999.

In 2000 Select Medical added ten hospitals to the fold, a yearly rate that the company hoped to maintain.

With Wall Street heavy hitters Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse First Boston, and J.P. Morgan managing the offering, Select Medical launched a road show in March 2001 to promote the company.

The company continued to grow in 2002, adding eight new hospitals and 20 rehabilitation clinics.

2003: Adds Cenpatico, a behavioral health services company; Centene debuts on the New York Stock Exchange.

Brad Hollinger founded Vibra Healthcare in the spring of 2004 and it quickly grew with the acquisition of six specialty hospitals.

2005: Cliff Megerian, MD, developed a minimally invasive treatment for glomus jugulare tumors, a rare, non-cancerous skull bone tumor that involves the inner and middle ear.

2006: Acquires additional nurse triage services; Opticare, a vision management services company; US Script, a pharmacy benefit management services company; and Cardium, a disease management services company.

2008: Acquires Celtic Group, Inc., a commercial insurance product company.

2009: Expands into Florida and Massachusetts.

2010: Joins the FORTUNE 500 list of largest United States corporations by revenue; adds NovaSys Health in Arkansas.

2012: Operations for correctional healthcare services begin.

2013: Grows to $10 billion in revenue and 2.7 million members.

2014: Ambetter brand introduced for Health Insurance Marketplace products; enters two international markets, Spain and the United Kingdom; adds United States Medical Management (USMM), an in-home health services company.

2015: Acquires health plans in Michigan and Oregon.

2016: Acquires Health Net and launches the Envolve brand for specialty whole-health solution companies.

2017: Expands operational footprint in Nebraska, Nevada, Maryland and New York.

2018: Adds Pennsylvania and New York health plans; launches the Allwell Medicare Advantage brand.

2019: Continued growth and innovation leads to being listed No.