In 1910, Robert W. Long met with Dr. John Finch Barnhill, the first head of the Indiana University Department of Otolaryngology, to discuss establishing a teaching hospital as part of the IU School of Medicine.

[3] When it opened in 1914, Long Hospital was equipped with the latest in medical technology, including X-ray machines, surgical suites, laboratories, and experimental emergency floor lighting.

[7] In 1934, Willis Dew Gatch appropriated funds to purchase new bedding and operating equipment for Long Hospital as part of a campus-wide renovation project for healthcare facilities.

This included more additional bed space, a new isolation ward, and a central sterilization room for Long Hospital.

[9] In 1948, the Lions Club of Indiana funded the installation of a Million Volt X-Ray Machine, which was originally designed to inspect the armor plating of tanks and ships built for World War II.

[2] Indiana University erected a marker commemorating the historical impact of Robert W. Long Hospital on the development of the IU Medical Center and Indianapolis healthcare in 2007.