Happy 171st Birthday, Anna Magee!

Anna Magee portraitToday is a special day at Magee — it’s the 171st birthday of our benefactor and namesake Anna Magee! We swear, she doesn’t look a day over 150.

The story of Magee Rehabilitation began with a dream held by a generous, but reclusive lady who left a legacy that would eventually change the future of healthcare forever. Her name was Anna Justina Magee.

Born on January 21st, 1843, Anna Magee led a quiet and secluded life. She isolated herself so much that she was eventually nicknamed “The Mystery Woman.” For her entire life, Anna lived behind closed doors, but this did not hinder her from accomplishing the extraordinary.

When Anna Magee died on December 12, 1923, no one besides her attorney knew what she had in store for the city of Philadelphia. In her will, Anna allotted a bequest of $1,285,000 to establish “The Magee Memorial Hospital for Convalescents”- what we proudly know today as Magee Rehabilitation Hospital.

Anna knew that there was a severe problem of overcrowded hospitals, near the time of her death. There were many patients who were not qualified for hospital care, but were not quite ready to live their everyday lives yet. Thus, she left detailed instructions for the design and nature of the institution that she wanted to build. The Magee Memorial Hospital for Convalescents would be one of the first hospitals in the city of Philadelphia to accommodate patients who were on the road to recovery, but still needed extra rehabilitation so they could return to their daily lives.

Today, Magee’s vision remains the same as Anna had first intended: to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities by providing high quality physical and cognitive rehabilitation services. Thanks to the vision and generosity of Anna Magee and her legacy, Magee Rehabilitation is one of the best rehabilitation hospitals in the nation, leading the way by improving the quality of life of individuals with disabilities.

In honor of Anna Magee, the Anna Magee Society recognizes those individuals who choose to support Magee in the same tradition as Anna Magee. Today, Anna Magee’s gift continues to generate funds that support patient programs and services at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital.

You can join the Anna Magee Society by including Magee in your will, as a beneficiary of your life insurance, through charitable trusts or gift annuities. Gifts such as these allow individuals and families to invest in Magee, ensuring that Magee’s services are available far into the future.

For more information on the Anna Magee Society, please contact Mark Chilutti, Assistant Vice President of Development, at mchilutti@mageerehab.org or (215) 587-3226.

Share This Article!
LinkedInTwitterFacebookEmailPinterest