Conemaugh Valley Hospital School of Nursing - Pink Cross Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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Jmwfew Typical of the indomitable spirit which has al- ways prevailed in Iohnstown, the Board wasted little time in pondering the ill effects of the flood, but looked progressively forward with a determination to supply to the commun- ity, adequate hospital care, entailing all of the facilities, materials, and procedures known to medical science. The original members of the Board and their successors have directed the affairs of this hospital throughout the years to the same purpose. Toward the same end, they have elected to membership on the Medical Staff accredited members of the Medical pro- fession. That this purpose has been accom- plished and still continues is testified to by the present modern hospital and its highly trained personnel and skilled medical staff. When the doors were thrown open to re- ceive the sick and injured, there were two departments, both wards, one for male and one for female patients. This arrangement was similar to that which existed in most hospitals of that day and in keeping with the limited medical knowledge of that time. Most of the cases admitted in the early years were medi- cal, and they were divided only according to sex, with all types of illness being placed in the same ward. In line with the broadening of medical science, as better diagnostic procedures were discovered and new techniques were develop- ed, the hospital kept pace, until today the pa- tients are assigned to the following special- ties:-General Surgery, General Medicine, Dermatology, Gynecology, Pediatrics, Opthal- mology, Bronchoscopy, Roentgenology, Uro- logy, Syphilology, Psychiatry, Proctology, Den- tal Surgey, Orthopedics, and Obstetrics. The hospital's capacity is now 407 pa- tients. According to the diagnosis, sex, and age, the patients are assigned to the following de- pattments:- Men's Surgical Ward, Men's Medical Ward, Women's Medical and Surgical Wards, Isolation, Children's Ward, Eye Section, Ma- ternity Section, several floors of private rooms, semi-private rooms and sun porches. Within the Children's Ward there are divisions such as the surgical section, medical section, nurs- ery, isolation, and orthopedic section. The ma- ternity has private rooms, semi-private rooms, sun porches, wards, its own nursery for the new born, and delivery rooms. The eye sec- tion is comprised of private and semi-private rooms, and a sun porch. Serving all of the patients in all of these departments are the following diagnostic and therapuetic departments:- Dietary, Laboratory, including electrocar- diology and basel metabolism, operating rooms, X-ray, including diagnostic and deep therapy x-ray and radium, physical therapy, pharmacy, nursing, and plasma bank. Other departments which do not render treatment nor diagnostic service but on which the continued service to the sick and injured depends are the following:- Laundry, housekeeping, power house, maintenance, business office, and medical records office. Having established the facilities and per- sonnel for the operating of this complex or- ganization, the hospital has earned the ap- proval of:- The American Hospital Association The Hospital Association of Pennsylvania. The American College of Surgeons. The American Medical Association. The Pennsylvania Board of Medical Edu- cation and Licensure. The Pennsylvania Board for Registration of Nurses. The most important stamp of approval earned and the one considered of greatest importance by the Board of Managers is the approval of the community which the hospital serves. Contributions both direct and through the Community Chest and good will are as- sumed to be indicative of the community's approval. However, the more -certain evidence of the community's stamp of approval is the patronage of the hospital by the residents of the community when illness strikes them. There is evident a feeling of confidence in the minds of the people of this area that the Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital is adequate and capable of meeting their needs. They no long- er feel that they must travel to distant cities to get service, because it has been made avail- able Within their own community.

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1 u 4 lui wr goings! .... l HISTORY OF THE HOSPITAL May 31, 1889 will always stand out vividly in the minds of those who lived in lohnstown on that date, when the Iohnstown Flood swept from the face of the earth almost every work of man in what until that time had been a thriv- ing industrial town. To the descendants of those who survived the catastrophy, and to those who have since migrated to johnstown, the flood does not conjure visions of hell on earth such as they experienced who lived through it, but has come to be looked upon as a legend of the Valley. While the unhappy details have faded in memory, one result of the flood has grown to inestimable importance in the lives of the people whose homes are in Iohnstown. The Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital was built out of the excess of Flood Funds which had been donated by the charitably inclined people in every part of the earth to relieve the sufferings and replace the losses of the flood victims. The generosity exceeded the need and the excess funds in the amount of 560,000 were converted into hospital build- ings as a memorial to the generosity of the peoples ot the world to a stricken community. The Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hos- pital opened its doors to receive the sick and injured of the Conemaugh Valley on February 4, 1892. During the 59 intervening years, While the community experienced prosperity and ad- versity, the Hospital has kept its doors open, rendering service to the sick and injured. ln the form of hospital services, therefore, bene- fits continue to emanate from IohnstoWn's dark- est day and these benefits are enjoyed by those to whom that catastrophy is little more than a myth. During the years, thousands have been cared for Within the walls of the Hospital, receiving service to the value of millions of dollars. The benefits to the community in the health and prolonged life of its citizens are impossible of interpretation in dollars and cents. Those Who have not had members of their families as patients in the Hospital en- joy that security which goes with the knowl- edge that when illness does strike, the Cone- maugh Valley Memorial Hospital will be ready to serve with all ot its personnel and equip- ment. The Board of Managers, a group of pub- lic spirited citizens, were given the responsi- bility for the management of the institution. L

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