Penn Highlands Clearfield

Name :

Penn Highlands Clearfield

Address  :

809 Turnpike Avenue

Town  :

Clearfield

State  :

Pennsylvania

Country  :

USA

Post Code:

16830

Phone  :

8147655341

Web URL  :

Available

Email  :

info@clearfieldhosp.org

Description

About Penn Highlands Clearfield
Penn Highlands Clearfield A Campus of Penn Highlands DuBois has been an integral part of the community since the first hospital was organized and opened its doors in August 1900 as Clearfield Hospital

As a part of Penn Highlands Healthcare it continues its rich tradition of providing excellent care to the communities it serves It continues to expand and create access to a large number of medical surgical and support services Its awardwinning home health care serves a large geographic region A renovated facility reflects its commitment to improve quality care and patient comfort

Penn Highlands Clearfield consists of an active Emergency Department MedicalSurgical Units Behavioral Health Services Cardiac Diagnostic Services Rehabilitation Services Cardiac Rehab Chemotherapy Imaging Services Laboratory Services Nutrition Counseling Pulmonary Rehabilitation Surgical Services Wound Care and a SwingBed Program

History

Dr Samuel James Waterworth was born in Baltimore Maryland on September 10 1873 He was the son of James Murray and Katherine Lee Waterworth
Because of failing health his father secured the position of lighthouse keeper at Hawkins Point in the Chesapeake just below the mouth of Baltimore Harbor Dr Waterworth was raised in the lighthouse 8 miles from the Maryland Coast and was educated at home by his mother and invalid father never attending any formal or public schools When he was fifteen years old and upon the death of his father he was given the job of reporting the inland vessels by the Quarantine Department This position was made possible at this early age because he knew all the vessels that sailed the Chesapeake due to his family residing in the lighthouse His contacts with doctors at the Quarantine Station in Baltimore inspired him to study medicine After a year and a half he left to take a position in a Baltimore drug store where he worked until he entered medical college at the age of eighteen At age 20 he graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons University of Maryland He was recommended by the College to come to Central Pennsylvania to assist the late Dr Spencer Free of DuBois who had written to the college for an assistant Later he assisted Dr Blaisdell of Punxsutawney His work under these doctors was at the Walston mines and at Adrian Hospital in Jefferson County

A physician by the name of Dr William C Park practicing in New Millport Pennsylvania in 1892 had heard of a doctor doing surgery in the small mining village of Helvetia near Sykesville Dr Park drove to Helvetia and spent an hour talking to this doctor Dr Samuel J Waterworth convincing him to come to Clearfield Dr Waterworth arrived in Clearfield riding a bicycle so Dr Park loaned him 4000 to buy a horse and buggy Dr William C Park was the Grandfather of Dr Elmo Erhard

In 1894 Dr Waterworth moved here and began his practice in Clearfield He soon became associated with Dr M Gard Whittier a pioneer surgeon of Clearfield County and assisted at countless operations performed in kitchens and bedrooms the operating rooms of that day He made frequent trips to the Mayo Brothers Clinic in Rochester Minnesota and took postgraduate studies in France Switzerland Germany Austria Vienna Holland Belgium and England

While operating on a gangrenous case at Burnside in 1902 Dr Waterworth incurred an infection of the right hand and arm which confined him to bed for 112 days

In 1904 Dr Waterworth moved his familys residence to the corner of Second and Cherry Streets His mother Mrs Katharine Lee Waterworth assisted her son in the office for a number of years before her death

In 1908 Dr Waterworth married Catherine L Cunningham niece of Monsignor Peter J Sheridan pastor at that time of St Francis Catholic Church They had seven daughters and two sons

Dr Waterworth served as staff surgeon until 1925 when he was elected SurgeoninChief and ChiefofStaff A typical days activities began for him at 800 AM and continued until midnight His rigorous hours of work were a constant marvel to his patients friends and colleagues His skill as a surgeon especially in goiter and cancer cases won him national fame and brought patients to Clearfield from all parts of the country Dr Waterworth was the subject of an article that was published in Time Magazine in 1933 Dr S J Waterworth was a nationally known physician and surgeon who practiced medicine in our community for 47 years He was the founder of our Hospital and spent his life caring for the sick in our community He was an avid reader and he spent many hours writing the depth of which many people were not aware of until after his death On June 6 1940 at the age of 66 Dr Waterworth died in his sleep from a heart attack