National Hospital Week — May 11-17
Every day 6,000 hospitals and over five million dedicated staff members serve as beacons of hope in their communities. This week from May 11-17, health care facilities across the country will celebrate National Hospital Week, our nation's most traditional health care event. The theme “Where Healing Happens Every Day” brings hospitals, health care workers and their communities together, building enthusiasm and pride in the giving nature of care.
Throughout this week especially, Rooks County Health Center wants to recognize the vital part each member of the staff plays in this multilayered profession. RCH began the week’s celebration with the annual Rooks County Health Center Health Fair on Saturday, May 10 at Sacred Heart School. The week long celebration will end with a catered lunch on Friday, May 16 for the staff, clinics, Board of Directors and auxiliary.
A look back shows just how far hospitals have come in America since the first one built in Philadelphia in 1751 at the urging of Benjamin Franklin. Early hospitals were far from today's modern technological marvels. While they served a vital role, citizens were unfamiliar with them and viewed them as frightening places.
While medicine was advancing, disease remained a formidable enemy.
The “Spanish Flu” outbreak of 1918, the deadliest epidemic in American history, killed more than 600,000 Americans over the course of the year. In 1921, a Chicago magazine editor proposed a radical idea: he called for hospitals to open their doors for just one day, allowing the public to come inside and see the modern advances that had turned these long-dreaded halls into impressive care centers.
The first National Hospital Day was on May 12, 1921. Held on the birthday of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, this day provided a window of opportunity for hospitals to capture the trust of their communities. The event spread across the country and eventually became National Hospital Week in 1953.
Today, hospitals are foundations of the communities that built them and nurture them. According to National Hospital Statistics, hospitals admit almost 37 million patients each year, treat 117 million in emergency departments and see another 545 million for other outpatient needs. On any given day, 658,000 patients fill hospital beds across the country.
As advancements in medicine continue to progress, it’s important to remember our caring, committed health care professionals, who strive for continued excellence each and every day. Please join us in thanking the many departments and individuals who combine their efforts for the pursuit of wellness. If you have any questions or would like to participate in any hospital activities, please contact Kathy Ramsay, RN and Communication & Development Director, at 434-4553.