Historical Highlights
 1905 - John W. Dreyer, M.D., a young native of Wisconsin fresh out of Rush Medical School, set up his practice in Aurora, Illinois, a prairie town built around a saw mill with an opera house once visited by Irish playwright Oscar Wilde.1914 - Dr. Dreyer rode his bicycle to North Aurora during a blizzard with a vial of diphtheria vaccine, scarce at the time. After administering the vaccine, Dr. Dreyer remained at the boy's bedside all night long. Later, he recalled charging the full amount for this house call - $3 - not because he had to stay overnight, but because he had to ride through all that snow. 1922 - Dr. Dreyer and Elliott Denney, M.D., a Harvard Medical School graduate, who came to Aurora when the population was around 40,000, established an informal partnership by using the same offices and sharing expenses. Their offices were complete with a laboratory and an x-ray machine at a time when diagnostic technical devices were rare and antibiotics had not yet been discovered. 1924 - Dr. Leland Anderson, a graduate of the University of Michigan, became an associate. 1926 - The doctors moved into offices designed especially for them on the top floor of the new Graham Building on the island in the Fox River in downtown Aurora. 1928 - Dr. Walter Milbacher, who was raised in Aurora, joined the partnership a year before Dr. Anderson departed. 1931 - The group of doctors now numbered six and officially registered for the first time in the State of Illinois as the Dreyer-Denney Clinic. 1933 - Due to the Depression, gross annual income dropped to its lowest point - $31,000. Dr. Dreyer became well known as an innovative general practitioner who made house calls on a bicycle. 1935 - Internist Clarence L. Gardner, M.D., came to Aurora after completing his residency at the University of Chicago. 1940 - Dr. Edwin G. Hausmann, formerly a house doctor at Copley Hospital, joined the practice. 1942 - Dr. Harry Greeley and Dr. William Blackburn joined the Clinic when Aurora was facing a severe shortage of physicians; most had been inducted into the armed services. 1946 - The practice was renamed the Clinic of Dreyer, Denney, Milbacher and Gardner. 1947 - Dr. Dreyer served as president of the American Fracture Association. 1950 - Dr. John Abell, a native Auroran, joined the group. He was the first pediatrician on staff. Dr. John Landes, a surgeon, joined the following year. He had surgical training and experience while in the service, but didn't finish medical school and his residency until the war ended. 1952 - The tradition of selecting only board-certified or board-eligible doctors was established. 1960 - The Clinic grew to 12 physicians to accommodate the city's rapidly growing population (63,700) and now occupied 4 floors of the Graham Building. Patient visits numbered about 104,000 per year. A reorganization resulted in a Clinic corporation owned by the partnership. 1961 - Dr. John Dreyer retired after 56 years of active practice, the same year the Clinic purchased three and half acres of prime farm land on Aurora's far west side. The rezoning process began. 1963 - Dr. Dreyer presided at the groundbreaking for the new facility in June. 1964 - The move to the new, custom-built 26,000-square-foot replacement facility on West Galena Boulevard occurred on August 3, 1964. On the same day, the group shortened its name to Dreyer Medical Clinic. At dedication ceremonies one week earlier, a handsome oil portrait of Dr. Dreyer was unveiled in the new reception area. An open house, held later in the fall, attracted more than 3,000 people. 1967 - A south wing with 8,000 square feet of additional space was added at West Aurora. Dr. William Blackburn served as general chairman for a $5.7 million fund-raising campaign of the Joint Hospital Expansion Program for the three Aurora hospitals. 1968 - Dr. Dreyer passed away at the age of 91. 1970 - The physician partnership became a corporation under the Illinois Medical Service law. 1972 - Dreyer Medical Clinic was accredited for the first time by the American Group Practice Association and has maintained accreditation ever since. 1973 - A complete upper floor was constructed at West Aurora and square footage now totaled 49,500 square feet. 1979 - John W. Potter was hired as administrator. Dreyer Medical Clinic accepted its first capitated contract in anticipation of the changes coming to the health care delivery system and insurance industry in the next few decades. 1980 - A satellite Clinic was established near the Fox Valley Shopping Center as rapid growth occurred east of the city. 1981 - Evening walk-in visits for children and adults (the beginning of urgent care) were introduced at the West Aurora facility. 1982 - Dreyer was re-accredited by the Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC), which had taken over accreditation activities of the American Group Practice Association. 1983 - An additional 7-1/2 acres of land contiguous to the West Aurora site were purchased. 1984 - Once again the Clinic expanded its practice. Now numbering 42 physicians with additional specialties such as cardiology, infectious diseases, and emergency medicine, another satellite site was established by merging with a small family practice group in Oswego to enlarge primary care capabilities. A $3.2 million expansion and renovation of West Aurora also was begun to bring the total number of exam and treatment rooms to 156. The doctors formed a separate not-for-profit insurance organization called Dreyer HMO, after a feasibility study had been completed, to compete with for-profit HMOs. 1985 - The first hospital contract for inpatient services was negotiated, as global capitation was used to pay the Clinic for Dreyer HMO patients. With completion of the building project at West Aurora, the main entrance was moved to the south side of the facility and the Urgent Care/Occupational Health Department relocated to the north side. 1986 - Dreyer leased office space on Fabyan Parkway to develop a Batavia satellite. West Aurora established new services such as mammography, CT scanning, and monitored exercise programs. Patient visits were around 300,000 per year. 1989 - Dreyer Work Rehabilitation Services was opened in a separate facility on Morton Avenue in Aurora. The Fox Valley Villages satellite moved from leased office space to the building Dreyer built and owned. 1990 - The Batavia satellite building was purchased by Dreyer Medical Clinic. Aurora's population reached 99,600. 1993 - The newly constructed 92,270-square-foot Mercy Campus satellite, housing surgical specialties and the Ambulatory Surgery Center, was opened. The following year the Mercy Campus site won the Mayor's Award from the City of Aurora for Excellence in Building Construction and Landscaping. Dreyer Medical Clinic purchased Dreyer HMO, renamed it Dreyer Health Plans, added new product lines, and operated it as a for-profit subsidiary of the Clinic. 1994 - Offices were leased in a new building on the corner of Edgelawn Drive and West Downer Place to house the Psychiatry Department, administrative personnel, and Dreyer Health Plans. A second Urgent Care Center was opened at Dreyer's Fox Valley Villages site. Certificate of Merit Awards were received from Healthcare Marketing Report for the patient newsletter and handbook. 1995 - Two new satellite offices were opened - one in Yorkville to offer internal medicine and pediatrics and the other on the Rush-Copley Medical Center campus for obstetrics/gynecology. 1996 - Advocate Health Care purchased Dreyer Medical Clinic and sold the Dreyer Health Plans operation to Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois. A computerized laboratory information system, a full-service home medical equipment and supplies company, on-site laser therapy, and a Diabetes Team Clinic for children were established. The Home Infusion Therapy Program earned accreditation. Patient visits totaled 385,731. 1997 - Dreyer Medical Clinic was one of 13 medical groups out of 353 nationwide recognized as a Best Practice by the Medical Group Management Association. Nine new physicians were welcomed to the medical staff, plus an optometrist and psychologist. The Clinic was selected as a site for a visit by a group of Russian physicians on a U.S. State Department tour. A hospital rounding program was introduced. Approximately 2,700 Medicare patients were transitioned into a different Medicare risk insurance product as a result of the discontinuance of the Dreyer Health Plans' Seniority Plan. A year-long celebration was held in commemoration of Dreyer's 75th anniversary, and included a 13-minute historical video, a staff picnic and birthday party, banners at all locations, imprinted travel mugs for doctors and staff, a traveling photo exhibit, and a "new" group photo of the medical staff featuring 87 doctors and 3 administrators. 1998 - The St. Charles Pediatric Associates practice was purchased. The first certified nurse-midwife was employed. A third urgent care center was opened at the Batavia site. AAAHC accreditation was renewed; a second mammography unit was installed; the nurse triage telephone service, Dreyer OnCall, was introduced in the spring; a menopause discussion group was formed; and Dr. Schlesinger was named head of the hospital rounding program. Ob/Gyn services expanded to Yorkville, and the website, www.dreyermed.com, went live in April. 1999 - Dreyer opened new satellites staffed by family practitioners in Plainfield and Hinckley in January and February respectively, and dermatology and ob/gyn services were extended to Plainfield. Sick call was added at Batavia, an anticoagulation clinic established at West Aurora, and the surgery center earned AAAHC accreditation. The home infusion program received accreditation with commendation from JCAHO and the laboratory was accredited by the College of American Pathologists. Nuclear medicine installed a Siemens Gamma camera. The Dreyer Foundation merged its assets with the Advocate Charitable Foundation. The patient test result line was introduced, centralized scheduling of appointments got underway, Lasik became part of the offerings, and Dreyer OnCall began offering the patient information line library. Dreyer Medical Clinic was ranked first among provider groups in the Chicago market by HMO Illinois members. In the fall, work rehabilitation services were relocated to the Batavia site in the Campana annex building, along with warehousing and some physical therapy services. 2000 - The superior ThinPrep¨ Pap test was approved for use for all women patients, and several new procedures and services were introduced - microdermabrasion; laser treatment of enlarged prostate; lymphedema management; the use of regenerated knee cartilage; and bone densitometry. The Center for Women's Health at the Mercy Campus location opened in June, and in October, the St. Charles staff moved to larger office quarters on Foxfield Road. AAAHC accreditation was once again renewed. A Blue Ribbon ranking was awarded by Blue Cross/Blue Shield. 2001 - Twenty-two new physicians joined Dreyer between June and November, five physicians retired, and three resigned, for a net gain in physician staff of 14. The Electronic Medical Record went "live" in Pediatrics at West Aurora on May 15, the beginning of a two-year roll-out. Ground was broken on October 10 for the construction of a patient-friendly, state-of-the-art Dreyer Cancer Treatment Center at the Mercy Campus facility. Physicians and associates set record-high giving levels by contributing over $10,000 to the Dreyer Community Health Fund at The Advocate Charitable Foundation and by donating over $20,000 to the United Way of the Aurora Area. In August, the Clinic made available at its West Aurora site a mobile PET scanner, the first of its kind in the Fox Valley. Dr. Charles Derus was appointed Medical Director in September. Several improvements to patient services were introduced in 2001: Fast Track and Priority Care visits at the West Aurora Urgent Care Center; fast track access two mornings per week in Dermatology; and identical open hours at all three Urgent Care Centers. For the second consecutive year, Dreyer was named a Blue Ribbon Provider by Blue Cross Blue Shield. Dreyer's school/business partnership with Smith Elementary School in Aurora won an Honorable Mention designation from the Illinois State Board of Education. 2002 - In late June, the Hematology/Oncology Department moved from West Aurora to the new, state-of-the-art Dreyer Cancer Center that was built as part of a 20,000-square-foot addition to the Mercy Campus facility. Taking a proactive response to the media controversy that surrounded the cancellation of a national research trial on HRT, Dreyer offered a free seminar on menopause and HRT that attracted 200 area women. Dreyer's diabetes education program earned certification from the American Diabetes Association, the only program in the area to hold this recognition. Groundbreaking for a new 25,000-square-foot replacement office in Oswego was held October 4. The second annual men's health conference, Boys' Night Out, was held on October 30, and was hosted by Chief Executive John Potter. New services added included Botox treatments, expansion of offices at Fox Valley Villages, expanded pediatric sick time, and access to an Ob/Gyn at the Hinckley location. 2003 - A spine surgeon joined the medical staff, and three full-time Spanish interpreters were added to the support staff. More than 70 Dreyer physicians participated in a tort reform rally held in May at the Daley Center Plaza in Chicago. A multi-year contract took effect with Blue Cross and Blue Shield for their HMO products. Although the Clinic's managed care contract with UnitedHealthcare was terminated in August, two new plans (Aetna and Cigna PPOs) were added to the number of insurances accepted. On-site surgical pathology services were initiated for both Clinic and Ambulatory Surgery Center specimens with results available on the electronic medical record. Dreyer's accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC) was renewed for another three-year period. To comply with new state legislation, the three Urgent Care Centers were renamed Walk-In Care. The new state-of-the-art facility in Oswego opened for operation on October 20, and a community open house celebration was held on November 23. 2004 - A pediatric ophthalmologist was added to the medical staff and Dermatology was added to the specialties at Oswego. Premiums for malpractice insurance doubled over the previous year. Ground was broken in April for the River West Radiation Therapy Center, a joint venture with Rush-Copley at the Mercy Campus site. Construction began in late fall on a new facility in Yorkville, a building to be shared with Provena Mercy Medical Center. On-site mobile MRI services were introduced. The Ambulatory Surgery Center was re-accredited by the AAAHC, and the asthma and congestive heart failure programs received Disease Specific Certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The Electronic Medical Record team was recognized with a Patient Safety Award. By the end of the year, over 900 patients had registered for the MyChart interactive internet connection to Dreyer services. Dreyer Medical Clinic was number 7 on the list of physician organizations published by Crain's Chicago Business. 2005 - Walk-In Care services were extended to Hinckley in February. In its first joint venture with Rush-Copley, Dreyer experienced the successful opening of the River West Radiation Therapy Center in April at its Mercy Campus site. A healing garden was created, with patient input, in the open space between River West and the Dreyer Cancer Center, and a reception for the charter donors was held on October 5. The Yorkville office moved to a new larger location to the west off Route 34 in August, with a community open house celebration on October 15. A treatment program and support group meetings were introduced by Cardiology to patients with heart failure. A unique prompt pay discount program for the uninsured was implemented in September, the first to be offered within Advocate Health Care. The Clinic was named a Better Performer in the Medical Group Management Association's national report for 2004 and received a 2005 Blue Star ranking from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for documented high levels of patient care. The pilot program for MyChart, Dreyer's interactive service, was concluded in 2005 and opened to all patients. 2006 - Seventeen new physicians and four certified physician assistants joined Dreyer Medical Clinic in 2006, surpassing the number of providers leaving due to retirement or resignation by ten. Services were expanded and new ones added. These included a treatment program for adults with attention deficit disorder; separate state-of-the-art endoscopy suites; an imaging center with closed MRI and a 64-slice CT scanner at Mercy Campus; appointment openings with a nephrologist at the Yorkville and Oswego sites and an oncologist at Yorkville; and opening a Family Practice Department at West Aurora. The first woman Helping Hands volunteer was welcomed. For the fourth year, Dreyer physicians and staff volunteered their time to give sports exams to more than 130 students participating in the Illinois Special Olympics. In November, the smoke-free policy enacted years earlier was extended to cover campus grounds as well as buildings. Shareholder physicians approved a new compensation formula that considers, among several items, patient satisfaction and access. In addition to being the only medical group in the Fox Valley to score stars in all six of the Blue Cross Blue Shield care categories, Dreyer achieved the best clinical outcomes of the entire Advocate Health Care system, as measured by Advocate's clinical excellence metrics. |
