Grey’s Anatomy: Why The Hospital Has Had So Many Different Names

The hospital that serves as the main setting in Grey’s Anatomy has gone through different names, and each change has been marked by a big event. Created by Shonda Rhimes, Grey’s Anatomy made its debut on ABC in 2005 and shows no signs of stopping soon, now being in its 16th season. The series started as a mid-season replacement, but it was so well-received it has lived on for years, and it continues to have a pretty solid fanbase.

Like any other medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy focuses on the ups and downs (in both their professional and personal lives) of surgical interns, residents, and attendings. The series’ lead is Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who viewers have seen go from intern to Head of General Surgery. Although the stories of each character have taken the series to other states and hospitals, the main setting is the Seattle Grace Hospital, which has seen a lot of great doctors and all types of stories through its patients. The hospital has its own history and has even gone through different names over the course of 16 seasons, all for different reasons.

The Seattle Grace Hospital was ranked among the top teaching hospitals for a surgical residency program, though it fell from first place to 12th and was also demoted to a Level II Trauma Center. Chief Richard Webber was then determined to do everything he could to restore the hospital’s former glory, and so changed the surgical protocol and risky surgeries were encouraged – however, it didn’t regain its spot as Level I Trauma Center until Owen Hunt was appointed head of trauma. The hospital later went through financial difficulties, and so it merged with Mercy West Medical Center, based at the site of Seattle Grace Hospital.

The hospital was then renamed Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, and due to the merger, there was a large number of staff members, and many were fired due to budgetary constraints, among those Izzie Stevens. The Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital witnessed a shooting when a grieving widower wanted to avenge his wife’s death, setting out to kill the doctors that worked on her case. The shooter killed 11 people and injured seven others, and instead of murdering Webber, the lead doctor in his wife’s case, he killed himself. The hospital later went bankrupt and was bought by the Harper Avery Foundation. The new board of directors then voted to name it Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

The board was formed by the survivors of the plane crash (Meredith, Cristina Yang, Arizona Robbins, and Derek Shepherd) as well as Callie and Jackson, who decided on that name to honor the two doctors killed in the plane crash: Lexie Grey and Mark Sloan. As of season 16, the main hospital in Grey’s Anatomy is named Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, and so far, there are no signs pointing at another name change anytime soon.

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Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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