Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital

Robert Asa Packer, son of Asa Packer, was a business magnate and president of the Northern Division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. After his death in 1883, his mansion (built 1879–80) sat empty and was inherited by his sister, Mary Packer Cummings. She was approached by Rev. W. B. Morrow, the rector of the Church of the Redeemer, with plans for a hospital and she donated the home to the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company on February 14, 1885 to be used for that purpose. She also offered to pay for any required alterations. The hospital was known for its use of aseptic techniques, only resorting to amputation for infection once in the first five years. Despite the fact that patients generally feared hospitals, in 1893 and 1894 that the hospital often went over capacity and had to turn away admissions. Some patients would wait weeks for admission. Early on, money was set aside for repairs to the old building and construction of a new ward, but it turned out not to be enough. Despite rarely having vacant beds, the hospital still went further into debt, largely due to not charging patients for their care. == History after Dr. Guthrie's arrival ==

January 10, 1910, Dr. Donald Guthrie succeeded the surgeon-in-chief Dr. Ott, who had died the year prior. The hospital and its buildings were considered to be some of the most advanced in the country. In September, 1916, Ornan H. Waltz noted in Modern Hospital, "Sayre, Pa., a city of only eight thousand people, can boast of one of the most serviceable institutions in the country". A major portion of the hospital burned down in a fire on May 3, 1933, forcing the hospital administration to successfully raise funds for a larger updated building for which they had been planning since 1929. At the time, some of the patients were moved to Tioga County General Hospital. The hospital received a Public Works Administration loan in the amount of $420,000 to complete the new building meant to house 285 beds, which was opened on December 6, 1934. Multiple changes have taken place since then, including addition of new buildings, operating suites, educational buildings, and an emergency department. 1981 saw the formation of the Guthrie Medical Center, a new corporation and restructuring of the existing Guthrie Clinic. In 1986, the hospital switched its focus to taking care of trauma patients, adding an $85,000 heliport, establishing trauma-related hospital procedures, and bringing in appropriate staffing. == Education ==

Robert Packer Hospital had its first intern in 1887, at a time when most physicians did not do internships. Its first residency began in 1923 in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Medicine and Hahnemann Medical School, and was in general surgery. Five years later, a residency in medicine was added. The hospital employed its first Director of Medical Education in 1967, also breaking ground for the Carl V. S. Patterson Education Building. The same year, the School of Nursing was accredited by the National League for Nursing. In 1987, nursing education changed at Robert Packer Hospital and it no longer offered a diploma program. Instead, it partnered with Mansfield University in offering the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Of historical note, it used to have residencies in neurosurgery, pathology, pediatrics, radiology, and urology. == References ==