The Republican journal., 1922-08-24
A Red Cross Nurse For Islands
In Penobscot Bay.

The American Red Cross is this month
establishing public health nursing SER
vice on the islands off the Penobscot bay
section of the coast of NJ Maine, to continue
for a period of from three to five years, IN
accordance with a bequest OF the late
Jane A. Delano, who Organized the Nurs-
ing Service of the Red Cross, directed it
before and during the World War, and
died after the Armistice while on duty IN
France.
The dream of providing adequate public
health nursing service In communities or
localities where the need for health edu-
cation and nursing service is paramount
but where obstacles to the m alntenance
of such service seem insurmountable, was
dear to the heart of Miss Deano. She
had learned of such needs through her
own bitter struggles ald priva atoms as
pioneer in the field of public health nurs-
ing. In the hope of making her dream
come true she stpulat ted in her Will that
the interest from fund of S25 000.O0, to-
gether with the royalties from the sale OF
her text book on Home Hygiene and Care
of the Sick should be used by the Amer
can Red Cross to support one or more
public health nurses, to be known as DE
lano Red Cross Nurses, as memorial to
her ather and mother
carrying out her purpose have been care
fully developed under the auspices of the
National Committee on Red Cross Nurs
| ing Service, and under the direction of
special committee appointed for the pur-
pose. Now the first appointments OF De-
lano Red Cross Nurses have been made
and one of Miss Delano's greatest ambi-
tons is coming to realization.
In beginning actual fulfillment of the
/
ing two Delano Nursing Services: one in
Alaska, the other for the Maine coast
islands, inhab bited largely by descendants
of hardy New England stock, indepen-
dent, industrious. earning a strenuous
livelihood from the seas, but for months
in winter isolated from the mainland eX-
cept for occasional mail boats and visits
from the Maine Seacoast Mission, living
a life unto themselves, denied the con-
venences and services of those who live
in the cities and towns of the mainland.
Miss Bertha r. Sleeves has been appoint
ed to the Maine island service.
Each of these services, and several
others which may be created. will con-
tinue for period of at least from three
to five years, or until local interest is
created and funds provided locally to |
carry on the work.
The appointment of Miss Sleeves be-
came effective July 3lst, and she reported
for duty that day at the headquarters of
the New England Division of the Ameri-
can Red Cross, where administration of
the services will rest. She left Boston
for her field of work on the islands on
August 7th. She will proceed to organize
the service during the "open season" SO
that it may be fairly well established
when winter closes communication with
the mainland and the people of the islands
Q .ttle down for their months of isolation.
Miss Sleeves will make her headQuart-
ers on one of the larger islands. The
principal islands for which she will pro-
vide public health nursing services are:
Swan island with population of some
600, Long island with population of 12S,
Isleford with 1875, Isle au Haut with 100, I
Matinicus with l0U, Great Cranberry with
100 and Little Cranberry with 125. These
islands are part of group which STREET
ches from Boothbay Harbor in Lincoln
County to Machias in Washington Coun- |
pie who spend their summer vacation time
in the State of Maine.
Miss Sleeves, who is of course an en-
rolled Red Cross nurse, has served both in
the East and in the West and in Canada.
She was graduated into nursing service at
the Newton Hospital, in Newton, Mass
She was two years at the Henry Street
Settlement in New York City. For a
period she was Superintendent of Nurses
at the Ottawa, Canada, Hospital. In
California she had several years of public
health nursing service including school
appointment under which she taught
Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick,