Surgical Services
 Our History
Surgery at The Miriam Hospital has had a rich history. It has been an integral part of the hospital since its humble beginnings.
The Miriam Hospital opened to the public on November 15, 1925 due to the efforts of the Women's Association, the Jacobi Medical Club and the North End Dispensary (one of the few places where Jewish doctors where allowed to practice, other than in private homes or offices). The vision of the hospital founders was to build a hospital where Jewish doctors could provide medical and surgical care to patients of every background, Jewish and otherwise The new facility boasted a sterilization clinic, prenatal dispensary care and an outpatient department.
The fourth floor operating room and sterilization room was the "pride of the hospital." The decor of the operating room was a radical departure from the norm of the time. The tiling was done in soft blue, rather than white, which was the recommended color of the leading hospital authorities. Special electrical, heating, lighting and ventilation devices were installed. An interesting fact is that, at the time, the surgical equipment was utilized without the use of a single human hand. Instead, the surgical tools were operated through "knee-control" or "foot leverage."
The Miriam Hospital was built during the Great Depression. This created the significant challenge of maintaining high standards of care while being forced to decrease employee pay. One of the main topics at the first meeting of the Board of Trustees was nurses' pay, others included standards of care, medical qualifications, charity cases and new surgical procedures.
Even in the midst of the depression, The Miriam Hospital was a surgical pioneer. On November 8, 1932, the first successful removal of a lung was performed in a three stage operation. The patient, a 10-year-old girl, had never gone to school because of her condition. After her recovery, she was able to attend school for the very first time.
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