What's the New 'Golden Gate Bridge' in the U.S. Healthcare System's Future?

摘要

Human beings have always aspired to conquer challenges. Look at the history of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, which, after decades of vision, discussion, planning, funding, and hard work, finally became a reality in May 1937. As History.com explains it, "Following the Gold Rush boom that began in 1849, speculators realized the land north of San Francisco Bay would increase in value in direct proportion to its accessibility to the city. Soon, a plan was hatched to build a bridge that would span the Golden Gate, a narrow, 400-foot-deep strait that serves as the mouth of the San Francisco Bay, connecting the San Francisco Peninsula with the southern end of Marin County. Although the idea went back as far as 1869, the proposal took root in 1916. A former engineering student, James Wilkins, working as a journalist with the San Francisco Bulletin, called for a suspension bridge with a center span of 3,000 feet, nearly twice the length of any in existence. Wilkins' idea was estimated to cost an astounding $100 million. So, San Francisco's city engineer, Michael M. O'Shaughnessy (he's also credited with coming up with the name Golden Gate Bridge), began asking bridge engineers whether they could do it for less.