St. Louis Children’s Hospital

1930

• Arrangements were made for exchange of residents between East London Children’s Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. An exchange was also made with Johns Hopkins Hospital , Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto , University of Michigan Hospital, and Duke Hospital of Durham, North Carolina.
• An affiliation was made with the School of Dentistry of Washington University

1930-1935

• Development of a chest service by Drs. Evarts A. Graham and James Singer.
• Important studies on St. Louis Encephalitis.
• Acquisition of the first Drinker Respirator in St. Louis for treatment of respiratory paralysis.

1935-1940
Development of Children’s Research Foundation by Dr. Lawrence Goldman for the assistance of pediatric research in St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

1936

• Dr. W. McKim Marriott is succeeded by Dr. Alexis F. Hartmann as physician-in-chief.
• Dr. Lawrence E. Goldman established a special nursing fund. Its purpose is to provide special nursing care for critically ill ward patients whose parents are unable to pay for such care.
• The first sulfa drug, sulfanilamide, and a related substance, pronticil, were used.

1938
Through assistance of the Rockefeller Foundation, a new Department of Neuropsychiatry was developed in a connection with the Washington University School of Medicine.

1943

• The first antibiotic, penicillin, was used for a most unusual case of influenza meningitis.
• Our small operating room area for minor surgery was converted into a Central Supply Department under Nursing Administration; all surgery hereafter performed at Barnes Hospital.

1944
Six porches on the second, third and fourth floors of the main building were enclosed. This added space for more beds and a conference room on each floor.

1945

• Mrs. Alice Langenberg was elected as fifth President of the hospital and Board of Managers.
• The elevator and open staircase of the University Pavilion were enclosed for protection of patients and personnel.

1946

• The Board of Managers voted to admit black patients to the Country Department.
• Black patients were moved from the Butler Ward to various wards throughout the hospital in order to meet the emergency of the poliomyelitis situation. Integration was continued from then on.
• The Country Department was closed because of our inability to secure and retain professional and nonprofessional personnel.

1947

• An affiliation was made with the Department of Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine.
• $67,124 was realized from sale of the Country Department (Ridge Farm).

1949

• The Board of Managers decided to prepare for a Building Campaign in 1950.
• Mrs. Moses Fraley, charter member of St. Louis Children’s Hospital Board of Managers, celebrated her 101^st birthday.
• THE HOSPITAL CELEBRATED ITS 70^TH ANNIVERSARY
• The Premature Baby Unit was opened, 10 bed capacity.
• The 48-hour week in the Department of Nursing was changed to 44 hours.
• Revised constitution of St. Louis Children’s Hospital was adopted.

1950

• By-Laws of the Board of Trustees, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, were adopted. The first meeting of the Board of Trustees was held, with Mrs. Harry H. Langenberg, President, presiding.
• The Trustees voted to file an application for the purpose of obtaining state and/or federal funds in connection with the hospital’s building program.
• Official opening date of the Building Fund Campaign. Goal: $2 million.
• Mr. Roy D. Kerchevai was elected as the sixth president. He was the first man to serve as president in 71 years of hospital operation.

1950-1955

• Beginning of studies centering on hazards of birth.
• Important studies on blood sugar regulation and metabolism of galactose.

1951
The Trustees voted to build a six-story addition and renovate the old buildings, at a total cost of $2,750,900. The hospital was to receive 27.5 percent of the total cost from Hill-Burton funds, based on the hospital’s chronic care and nursing education facility needs and inclusion of a small psychiatric unit in the new building, which need has been so poorly met throughout Missouri.

1952

• When the hospital was built on Kingshighway, Washington University built a Children’s pavilion for the Contagious Diseases on Children’s Hospital ground. In 1952 they gave the building to Children’s Hospital.
• Groundbreaking ceremony was conducted. President Kercheval presided; Dr. James W. Clarke gave the invocation.

1953

• Box from the cornerstone was removed, opened, and found to contain several newspapers dated 1913, reports, agreements, pictures, etc.
• Parking lots for the Medical Center had been completed at the approximate cost of $36,300, allocated as follows:
  • Washington University -- $25,279
  • Barnes Hospital -- $8,279
  • St. Louis Children’s Hospital -- $2,742
• The first edition of the house organ, “Small Talk” was issued. Purpose was to keep old and new friends up to date within the hospital and to explain new developments in its services and policies.
• The Trustees gave a reception for Mrs. Bertha Ginter in recognition of 50 years of faithful services in the employ of the hospital. The president presented her with an engraved gold pin.
• The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals sent an approval of full accreditation to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, following a survey made on October 21, 1953.
• Visiting hours were liberalized; parents were allowed to stay with child on admission and day following, until child goes to sleep.

1954

• The dissolved Board of Managers became officially known as the Auxiliary of St. Louis Children’s Hospital. It met for the first time under its new title, adopted its By-Laws and elected Mrs. Warren B. Lammert as its first president. The three primary objectives of the Auxiliary are: (1) To familiarize the members of the Auxiliary with the activities of the hospital through orientation tours, lectures and meetings, and an extensive volunteer program. (2) To interpret the hospital to the public through the members of the Auxiliary. (3) To assist the Trustees in securing financial support of the hospital.
• Two new automatic elevators, operating from the basement to sixth floor, were put into use in the new building. These replaced obsolete manually operated elevators, only one of which went to the sixth floor.
• A storeroom was opened in the new building and for the first time a storekeeper was employed. Prior to this time material was stored in twenty small rooms and closets throughout the building.
• A tea was given in honor of Miss Estelle D. Claiborne, Administrator of the hospital for twenty nine years, who retired December 31, 1954. She was presented with a gold brooch with diamonds and sapphires by the Board of Trustees and Auxiliary. The employees presented her with a silver Tiffany bowl, sugar and creamer, and candlesticks.
• The hospital received an anonymous gift of $141,825 contingent upon a sum $98,175 being raised by the hospital before December 31, 1954, pledges to be paid in 1955, to completely erase indebtedness on the building project. This campaign was carried out successfully.
• An ever increasing number of patients are covered by some type of third party payment plan, including Blue Cross and commercial insurance. Blue Cross was established in 1936. This steadily increased the number of private patients and reduced the number of ward patients.
• For the first time since 1949 the hospital operated with a deficit. For the first time since World War II the hospital was unable to secure its full complement of graduate nurses.
• Miss Lilly D. Hoekstra was appointed Administrator. She had been Assistant Administrator since July 23, 1951.