If you were to name the oldest public hospital in Manhattan, many people would think of Bellevue Hospital Center.

Founded in 1736, it is the oldest public hospital in the United States.

Currently, it operates as the flagship hospital of NYC Health + Hospitals, the public healthcare system of New York City, and is a large general hospital with nearly 900 beds.

It is regarded as a key medical institution in New York, covering almost all fields including emergency care, trauma center, mental health, infectious disease treatment, and intensive care. Bellevue is special because it is a public hospital that treats patients regardless of insurance or financial status.

Referred to as a 'safety net' hospital in New York City, it operates to ensure that those without health insurance, the homeless, immigrants, and low-income patients can receive necessary treatment. In the 1980s, when AIDS was a source of social fear, it actively treated patients, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it played a significant role in caring for numerous patients on the front lines of New York's healthcare.

Today, it remains one of the largest public hospitals in the United States, treating hundreds of thousands of outpatient and emergency patients each year.

The general opinion among Americans about Bellevue Hospital Center is that it is a "hospital where you have to wait a long time."

In the fields of emergency trauma, severe illness, and mental health treatment, it is rated among the best in New York, especially recognized as a reliable hospital in life-threatening situations. In fact, the New York Fire Department (FDNY) and emergency medical services frequently transport critically ill patients to this hospital.

On the other hand, due to its nature as a public hospital, there are also many complaints about long wait times in the emergency room and outpatient services.

Because the patient volume is so high and it treats all patients, including those without insurance, it is common to wait for several hours. Nevertheless, many reviews highly praise the professionalism of the medical staff and the quality of care, with comments like "the facilities are not fancy, but the doctors are excellent" frequently seen.

Among New Yorkers, there is a strong perception of Bellevue not just as a public hospital, but as "New York's last safety net." Because it allows anyone to receive treatment regardless of financial status, it is respected as a symbol of public healthcare and is regarded as a representative medical institution of New York with history and tradition.

Interestingly, this hospital is also very well-known in the field of mental health.

It is recognized as one of the hospitals that developed one of the first psychiatric programs in the United States, operating a 24-hour psychiatric emergency room and inpatient unit.

In the past, it treated many patients with mental illnesses, and the expression "going to Bellevue" became a slang term for going to a mental hospital.

However, today's Bellevue is an educational hospital with specialized medical staff, training healthcare professionals in collaboration with NYU Langone Health and conducting various clinical research.

In the Korean community in New York, Bellevue is relatively well-known.

However, it is not considered the most frequented hospital by Koreans. Many Koreans in Manhattan and Queens often prefer private hospitals or those with Korean doctors, and there are not infrequent cases of visiting Bellevue in emergencies or when public healthcare services are needed.

Especially among students, tourists, and short-term residents, there are often reports of using the emergency room due to sudden accidents or illnesses.

Fortunately for Korean patients, there is language support available. Bellevue offers free professional interpretation services in various languages, including Korean, and operates both phone and in-person interpretation systems, allowing patients who are not comfortable with English to receive care relatively smoothly.

As a hospital in a city like New York, where residents of diverse nationalities live, it places great importance on language accessibility.

The emergency room operates 24 hours, and when a call is made to 911 in New York City, patients are transported to the most appropriate emergency room based on their condition and location.

In cases of severe trauma or major accidents, Bellevue also plays a key role as a treatment hub. Additionally, with extensive disaster response experience, it is always at the center during major disasters or outbreaks in New York City.

Bellevue Hospital is not just an old hospital. It is a symbolic medical institution that best represents the history of public healthcare in the United States, the diversity of New York, and the philosophy that everyone has the right to receive treatment.