Milwaukee, WI (April 11, 2008) — The Incredible Journey: The Emergence of Froedtert Hospital and Southeastern Wisconsin’s Academic Medical Center is the story of how one of the nation’s most prestigious academic medical centers very nearly wasn’t built.

The 160-page book was exhaustively researched and meticulously vetted. It is the story of the 30-some years it took to actually build the hospital and the remarkable contributions the institution has made to the practice of medicine and the state of health care in the 25-plus years that followed. It is a story of public policy, politics, personalities and perseverance.

Jim King

Longtime area residents will recognize many of the names from the public and private sectors who played pivotal parts in the Froedtert story. Among the names are County Executives John Doyne, William O’Donnell and Thomas Ament; Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. President Edmund Fitzgerald; Howard Fuller, PhD; and governors including Pat Lucey and Warren Knowles. It tells the story of the Froedtert family — where they got their money, the other contributions they made to the landscape that is the Milwaukee area today, as well as their hopes and dreams that may not have been realized. The book shines the spotlight not just on the names in history, but also on the personalities of those who wove this tapestry.

Author James F. King of Mequon, Froedtert’s first public relations director, wrote the book. It took nearly a decade to complete it after he retired from Froedtert. But King’s roots in Froedtert and the Milwaukee County Grounds are incredibly deep. He literally grew up on the campus of today’s Milwaukee Regional Medical Center in Wauwatosa. His father was the late Joseph King, MD, one of the driving forces behind the creation of this academic medical center.

Today, Froedtert Hospital, with the Medical College of Wisconsin, is one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers. It is Wisconsin’s 73rd largest employer and is known worldwide for its patient care, education of physicians, nurses and allied health professionals and its leading edge research activities.

The Incredible Journey is available at the West End Shoppe at Froedtert Hospital for $10.

Author: Liz Hill

Date: April 10, 2008