The Willard Parker Hospital (1885-1955) for

communicable diseases An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

was located on East 16th Street along the

East River The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates the borough of Queens ...

in New York City. It was founded by the City of New York in 1885. It was named after

Willard Parker Willard Parker (born Worster Van Eps; February 5, 1912 – December 4, 1996) was an American film and television actor. He was a leading man under contract to Columbia Pictures in the 1940s and starred in the TV series '' Tales of the Texas Ran ...

, a prominent physician and surgeon, who at the time was a member of the Citizens' Association which called for the state legislature to establish an independent city health department. Parker later became the Vice President of the first New York City Board of Health.

History

At the time of its opening, there were only two other hospitals in New York City,

Bellevue Hospital Bellevue Hospital (officially NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and formerly known as Bellevue Hospital Center) is a hospital in New York City and the oldest public hospital in the United States. One of the largest hospitals in the United States b ...

and

New York Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center (previously known as New York Hospital or Old New York Hospital or City Hospital) is a research hospital in New York City. It is part of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the teaching hospital for Cornell University. ...

, now called Old New York Hospital and formerly known as Broadway Hospital. It initially opened wards for the care of patients with

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...

and

measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

. Within a year, a renovation of the building allowed the inclusion of a

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

ward. In 1913, funds were raised for a new building along the same location. The hospital became a teaching resource in infectious diseases for area medical and

nursing schools Nurse education consists of the theoretical and practical training provided to nurses with the purpose to prepare them for their duties as nursing care professionals. This education is provided to student nurses by experienced nurses and other med ...

. In 1928, the hospital opened its own school of nursing, a 32-month program that awarded a

diploma in nursing A Diploma in Nursing or Nursing Diploma is an entry-level tertiary education nursing credential. Background In the United States, this diploma is usually awarded by hospital-based nursing schools. Diploma programs in the United States require 2 ...

and qualified the graduates to sit for state licensing examinations granting

Registered Nurse A registered nurse (RN) is a nurse who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized licensing body to o ...

licensure. Nina D. Gage, RN. The School at The Willard Parker Hospital. American Journal of Nursing. Vol.28 No.8. August 1928.

References

External links

Website of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Government of New York City Health and Mental Hygiene Defunct hospitals in Manhattan {{NewYork-hospital-stub, NYC=y

History

See also

References

External links