Ira Davenport Mem Hospital

Description

Mission Statement
Davenport amp Taylor is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life within our rural community by providing local high quality primary acute restorative and residential health services

Vision Statement
Davenport amp Taylor is a recognized provider of high quality health and wellness services to our community Excellence is achieved by ongoing performance improvement effective management of resources and continued development of strategic alliances

History

Three American nurses Blanche and Katherine Belknap and Marianna Dethloff moved their small hospital from Galeton Pennsylvania to Bath in 1904 They found dedicated doctors to help and on May 1 1910 the first Bath Hospital opened with Dr Douglas Smith and Dr Henry J Wynkoop as chief surgeons Its home was the former land office of the Pulteney Estate on Liberty Street just west of the Presbyterian Church

In 1912 a school of nursing was started and was continued until 1940 There were then three nurses working at the hospital who graduated from the nursing school

As Bath grew and prospered the demands for hospital care increased In 1916 the hospital was moved to 115 East Steuben Street at the residence of the late Dr Alexis H Cruttenden The adjacent FF Rowe residence was bought and the two houses connected

Then in 1935 the building was deeded to present voluntary nonprofit Membership Corporation which then deeded it to the Village of Bath The village floated a 55000 bond issue and with further aid of 45000 from a federal grant plus individual donations built a new threestory center section to the older building and changed the name to the Bath Memorial Hospital For the first time it became a municipal hospital

In 1955 to provide the necessary hospital services for approximately 30000 people in the area served by the hospital the hospital corporation began raising funds to build a new structure centrally located on a picturesque thirtythree acre site just north of Bath overlooking Keuka Lake

A survey to determine the needed facilities was made a formal campaign for capital building funds conducted federal participation obtained under the HillBurton program and a large contribution was presented by the former Davenport Home for Female Orphan Children

After nearly 100 years of outstanding public service the Davenport Home was closed in 1958 when there was no longer any need for its facilities The trustees of the hospital and the Davenport Home voted to form a new corporation to operate the new hospital This corporation was brought into existence on November 3 1958

The result of this activity was a new modern hospital of 66 beds The hospital opened in the summer of 1960 at a total project cost of 1600000 The citizens of the area the Davenport Home and the Federal Government provided the funds for this new hospital in nearly equal amounts

As the hospital plan grew and changed with the demands of the community so did the quality of patient care A Personnel Director was added in 1977 when the average number of employees had grown from about 90 in 1947 to about 200 in 1977 These added employees represent the addition of many healthcare services