New York Eye And Ear Infirmary

Name :

New York Eye And Ear Infirmary

Address  :

310 East 14th Street

Town  :

New York

State  :

New York

Country  :

USA

Post Code:

NY 10003

Phone  :

212 979 4000

Web URL  :

Available

Email  :

ritchmd@earthlink.net

Description

Founded in 1820 The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in Manhattan New York City is the oldest specialty hospital in the Western Hemisphere With a rich heritage and a mission of providing high quality patient care community outreach graduate and continuing medical education and scientific research The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary has built upon its strengths to emerge as a recognized leader in the fields of eye and ear nose and throat care

This commitment to excellence extends beyond local recognition The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary is continually mentioned in US News and World Reports quotAmericas Best Hospitalsquot The ophthalmology and otolaryngology departments regularly rank among the highest for all hospitals throughout the United States In 1999 The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary became part of Continuum Health Partners Inc one of the metropolitan areas largest hospital networks

History

About The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
History amp Mission
The origin of The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary dates to 1816 when two young graduates of the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons Edward Delafield a medical resident and John Kearney Rodgers a surgical resident set out from New York to continue their medical training in London There they met Edward Reynolds MD who introduced them to the London Infirmary for Curing Diseases of the Eye later famed as the Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital Moorfields The two Americans enrolled in the ophthalmic training program and studied there for the next two years under the tutelage of Sir William Lawrence Benjamin Travers John Richard Farre and Sir Astely Cooper

In 1818 Delafield and Rogers returned to New York City surveyed the incidence of eye disease in the population and concluded that existing facilities were inadequate to manage the volume of indigent patients requiring ophthalmic care Realizing the lack of interest in their project they determined to finance their charity personally and on August 1 1820 the original Infirmary was opened

The young founders gathered prominent members of the business and medical communities to serve as a Board of Directors the quotSociety for the New York Eye Infirmaryquot From 182128 the first President of The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary Board was one of the nations most respected citizensCol William Fewthen 72 and a retired banker In his earlier years Col Few fought in the Revolutionary War and had the distinction of being a signer of the US Constitution

Although ears had been treated at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary since its inception the institution was originally incorporated under the title of The New York Eye Infirmary on March 22 1822 In 1864 the otology department was given official recognition and the name was legally changed to The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary In 1873 the throat department was added

The New York Medical College our sister institution has a long ophthalmology history In 1872 the Medical College moved from its original home in Manhattan on 20th Street amp Third Avenue to more spacious quarters at 23rd Street amp Third Avenue renting space from the New York Ophthalmic Hospital founded in l852 The College added to the faculty a chair of Ophthalmic Surgery and named Prof C T Liebold as the first occupant of this chair The Ophthalmic Hospital was merged into the Medical School in 1867 This afforded graduate facilities for interested individuals to study Ophthalmology and Otolaryngologyan Oculi et Auri degree This merger allowed students excellent training in diseases of the eye and ear Beginning in 1867 Ophthalmology and Rhinolaryngology were independent departments from surgery Today New York Medical College is located a few miles north of New York City in Valhalla

Although teaching had been conducted at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary from the very beginning the School of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology chartered by the State Legislature was officially founded in 1890 Thus began the first Otolaryngology resident training program in the United States At that time training for ophthalmology and otolaryngology was combined It was not until 1896 that the services were separated

Clinical audiology was introduced at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in 1945 to meet the needs of returning World War II veterans with serviceconnected hearing deficits From its informal inception with no professional standards for audiologists and quothome spunquot testing equipment the department has evolved into a sophisticated center for the evaluation of hearing speech and voice disorders balance and the facial nerve

Since its founding The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary has remained in the forefront of its specialty in America Almost every state in the US and many foreign countries are represented in The New York Eye and Ear Infirmarys roster of graduates and postgraduate students many of whom have gone to illustrious careers

Mission Statement of The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary was established in 1820 to meet the eye care needs of New Yorkers especially the working poor In keeping with its heritage todays Infirmary a member of Continuum Health Partners Inc is a voluntary notforprofit specialty hospital providing comprehensive outpatient and stateoftheart medicalsurgical care in the disciplines of Ophthalmology Otolaryngology Head amp Neck Surgery and Plastic amp Reconstructive Surgery

The Infirmarys outpatient ophthalmology and otolaryngology programs provide primary care and treatment in those specialties for the five boroughs of New York City with concentrations in the institutions historic Lower East Side patient base Brooklyn and Queens The Infirmary also serves the regional national and international communities with unique tertiary medicalsurgical specialty services in our fields of expertise

Vision Statement of The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary will continue to be the preferred provider of safe patientfocused specialty services in the disciplines of Ophthalmology Otolaryngology Head amp Neck Surgery and Plastic amp Reconstructive Surgery and will continue to be responsive to the needs of patients and physicians

Value Statements
Patient CareTo provide the highest quality most technologically advanced
and consistent multidisciplinary care in an environment where the safety
dignity and comfort of each patient are paramount In delivering patient
care the Infirmary will strive to provide an errorfree environment

Community HealthTo serve as a community resource through an ongoing series
of lectures seminars health screenings and dissemination of information to
the public

Medical EducationTo develop highly qualified welltrained
physiciansurgeons through programs of residency training postgraduate
fellowships and continuing medical education

Scientific ResearchTo pursue programs of applied clinical and basic
research which advance knowledge and treatment within our areas of
specialty and to enhance patient care through that scientific advancement

StaffTo value competence in the abilities of our Physicians employees and
volunteers to serve those entrusted to our care and to provide a
professional practice environment

Fiscal ResponsibilityTo carry out these activities in a financially
responsible manner to ensure the Infirmarys continued vitality and
viability as a provider of specialty health care services while meeting the
needs of the communities it serves