Evening star., 1939-02-05
Providence Hospital to Mark
18th Year Tomorrow
Goyety Will Reign for Doy
At Open House Celebration

as nurses; the first to institute
lectures and demonstrations by
doctors; the first to permit OUT
side doctors to attend their patients
in hospital: the first to have an
isolation ward; the first to install
an amphitheater where surgeons
and students could watch oper-
ations, and the first hospital in
the United States to have an oper-
ating room of it's kind in a semi
detached building. 1t was the first
large general hospital to offer itself
unreservedly to the Government
when America entered the World
War Then, 20 members of the
medical staff and IS nurses volun-
teered for active service-and were
accepted. To keep up its record
of "flrsts," Providence was the first
hospital to establish a three-year
school for nurses and, in a few
months, will open the first four-year
course or collegiate school for nurses
in the United States. The degree
to be offered will be bachelor of
SCIENCE IN nursing.
AS Providence enters its 18th
year, the Sisters of Charity look
back upon its growth with pride.
They point out that at the close
of the Civil War the old frame
house was abandoned and the
present center building and west
wing were constructed. Also that
these are showing wear and tear
and need repairing. Sister Rosa,
who is native of Lynchburg, Va,
and has been here only two years,
has great plans for Providence.
incorporated in 1864.
I'VE were incorporated by an
act of Congress, April 8, 1864" Sister
Rosa says, after our sisters had
worked on the battleflelds and in
this hospital-and then patients
were admitted to the public wards
by order of the Surgeon General
of the United States. Sailors were
admitted to the marine ward and
treated by medical officers of the
Marine Hospital Service. This hos
pital was the first in the city to
take diphtheria patients. First we
put them in an old barn. Then in
a new building. Old Providence,
you see, has grand record
Thirty Sisters of Charity busy
themselves about the hospital-and
they all work for nothing. One is
director of nurses, another super
visor of the operating room, another
supervisor of the out-patients de-
partment, and two are registered
pharmacists.
Growth of the ut-patients de-
partment, or clinic, shows clearly
how Providence keeps pace with
the city's needs. When the depart
ment was opened in 1907 it treated
lib patients. Last year 1888, Oh
$40 patients passed through it's
portals There are % clinics in
this department.
Home for Nurses Erected.
A nurses home was erected by
Congress in 1901, and a few years
before that the pathological and
meteorological laboratories were
built With the finest equipment
available, it is the aim of Providence
Hospital never to refuse admission
and treatment to worthy sick.
Suppose they haven't any
money!" Sister Rosa was asked.
She smiled: We'll, suppose they
haven't. What difference would
that make? We are not interested
in money for moneys sake-only
for the good it can do by way of
helping the afflicted"
While the hospital proper will be
the center of its own birthday
anniversary celebration. the card
party will be staged in the Willard
Hotel tomorrow night at 8 o'clock.