Mount Sinai Hospital: History
On January 15, 1852, nine men representing a variety of Jewish charities met to discuss a shared vision of free medical care for indigent Jews in New York City. In 1855, that vision came to fruition with the establishment of the 45-bed Jews’ Hospital in New York in what was then a rural neighborhood on West 28th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.
Although the hospital was intended as a sectarian institution, the Jews’ Hospital never turned away emergency patients, regardless of their religion. In its first year of operation, the majority of patients were foreign born. The hospital was expanded during the Civil War to accommodate Union soldiers.
As the Jews’ Hospital was a charitable enterprise, its directors relied on the gifts of friends and members, as well as payments from the state and city, to provide enough to subsidize care. To maintain eligibility for state and city support, the Jews’ Hospital formally abandoned its sectarian charter in 1866 and was renamed The Mount Sinai Hospital. Its patient base, however, remained predominantly Jewish. In 1872, it moved to a new 120-bed facility on Lexington Avenue, between 66th and 67th Streets, nearly tripling its original capacity.
Move to Upper East Side leads to expanded services
With the move to Lexington Avenue, patient care grew to encompass outpatient services as well as specialty wards for pediatrics, eye and ear, neurology, genitourinary, and dermatology. A tiny lab, large enough for only two people, was set up in a coat closet, and lab work took on increased importance.
In 1881, The Mount Sinai Hospital established a nursing school, introducing professional nursing care to a facility previously served by untrained male and female attendants. In 1928, the school name officially became The Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing.
As advances in research, diagnosis, and patient care occurred, and more people sought treatment at hospitals in general, Mount Sinai administrators realized it was time once again to move and expand.
Current facilities take shape in 1904
In 1904, the new 456-bed, 10-pavilion Mount Sinai Hospital was dedicated on Fifth Avenue at 100th Street. Numerous specialties arose, among them otology — the treatment of ear diseases — physical therapy, and neurosurgery. The Hospital opened clinics on diabetes, children’s health, and mental health, among others.
Mount Sinai formed the Social Service Auxiliary, what is now the Auxiliary Board, in 1916 to provide financial support and labor resources to social service-related activities at the Hospital, usually in conjunction with the Social Service Department. The Auxiliary today works diligently to support vital hospital and community outreach projects.
Mount Sinai active in both World Wars
Mount Sinai sent medical units to both World Wars. During World War I, of the 24 physicians, 65 nurses, and 155 enlisted personnel serving with Base Hospital No. 3 of the U.S. Army Medical Corps in France, the majority of doctors and nurses were from Mount Sinai. The group converted a monastery in Dordogne into a 500-bed hospital that ultimately housed 2,800 patients at a time.
During World War II, 802 Mount Sinai staff members served in North Africa, Italy, and France. Nine members died while serving.
School of Medicine opens in 1968
In the late 1950s, the Hospital began plans to establish its own medical school, an unusual move for a hospital. With its chartering in 1963, Mount Sinai School of Medicine became the first medical school to grow out of a non-university in more than 50 years. The fact that the Hospital was encouraged to found a school is a testament to its tradition of excellence in both patient care and research.
The Mount Sinai School of Medicine opened in 1968 in affiliation with The City University of New York. The affiliation enabled the Hospital to gain support from organized medicine for the physical facilities, staff, endowment, and equipment needed to create and operate a medical school.
With establishment of a school of medicine, Mount Sinai began using the name The Mount Sinai Medical Center to reflect its dual purpose of patient care and medical education. In 1999, Mount Sinai School of Medicine switched its affiliation from The City University of New York to New York University. Its formal name is now Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University.
Mount Sinai Medical Center today
The Mount Sinai Medical Center has come a long way since its founding as the Jews’ Hospital in New York in 1852. Today The Mount Sinai Hospital is a 1,171-bed facility with nearly 2,200 attending physicians, 700 residents and fellows, and 1,800 registered nurses.
Each year, the Hospital oversees approximately:
- 50,000 patients receiving inpatient care
- 450,000 outpatient visits
- 80,000 emergency room visits
- Uncompensated care of $76.7 million
U.S. News & World Report named The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York as one of the nation’s top 20 hospitals. In its 2009 – 2010 "America’s Best Hospital issue," Mount Sinai ranked 19th nationally. A total of 4,861 hospitals were analyzed for the report, making it the most extensive hospital ranking to date. Having scored highly in 11 of 16 specialties examined by U.S. News, Mount Sinai is featured on the magazine’s elite list of "Honor Roll" hospitals.
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