Friends Hospital
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Friends Hospital is a
psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociat ...
located in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Founded in 1813 by
Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...
as The Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason, the institution was later renamed the Frankford Asylum for the Insane. It was the first private mental hospital in the United States, and is the oldest such institution with a continuous history of operation. Its campus, which dates to its founding, is a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
. Friends Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.


Mission

The 1813 mission statement of the hospital was "To provide for the suitable accommodation of persons who are or may be deprived of the use of their reason, and the maintenance of an asylum for their reception, which is intended to furnish, besides requisite medical aid, such tender, sympathetic attention as may soothe their agitated minds, and under the Divine Blessing, facilitate their recovery."


History

The Quakers established Friends Hospital in 1813, drawing on a belief that all persons could live a "moral, ordered existence if treated with kindness, dignity, and respect", despite disabilities. The influential minister Thomas Scattergood decried what he considered the harsh conditions faced by patients in mental asylums, calling for the "moral treatment" of patients. This model served as an inspiration for the establishment of the Friends Asylum for Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason; it was the United States' first privately run psychiatric hospital.


Greystone Program

Located on the grounds of the Friends Hospital, the Greystone Program occupies two houses, Greystone House and Hillside House, and is a long-term community residence for individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses. Some residents chose to make the Greystone Program their permanent home while others transition to a less structured environment.


See also

* List of sites of interest in Philadelphia


References


External links

*
Nomination document
for
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
status {{authority control Hospitals in Philadelphia National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia Psychiatric hospitals in Pennsylvania Quakerism in Pennsylvania Frankford, Philadelphia Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania 1813 establishments in Pennsylvania