General Content
The Genesee Hospital Collection, 1887-1996 90 lf. (73 Boxes, 133 Volumes, 2,000 images)
The Genesee Hospital records consist of minutes of Board of Governors (1889-1995) and Supervisors (1963-1969); Annual Reports (1890-1994); medical board minutes (1931-1940); medical staff minutes (1889-1939); and financial records (1889-1968). The collection includes minutes of the materials on auxiliary groups (Medical & Dental Auxiliary; Genesee Hospital Auxiliary; Internees Alumni Assoc. & Visiting Cmte.). Medical Records include daily records of patients (1889-1990); case histories (1889-1906); Operating Room records (1891-1958; Recovery room (1954-1969) & others. The collection is cataloged in 13 record groups and numerous series and sub-series that include historical sketches; Programs and conferences; Subject Files (including material on planning, construction, hospital surveys; Rochester Hospital Fund, etc.); Publications (1889-1996) and Scrapbooks.
Processed by Wm. C. Black in February- March 1996
And Robert Dickson in May 2005- March 2006.
The Genesee Hospital took form as the Rochester Homeopathic Hospital in 1889. The hospital was conceived by Mrs. Hiram Sibley (wife of the founder of the Western Union Company) in the winter of 1887, when she witnessed a woman falling on the icy pavement outside her home. Mrs. Sibley ordered her coachman to drive the woman to the nearest hospital, but the closest hospital was the City hospital on the other side of town. It was purportedly at that moment she decided to initiate a hospital for the east side residents.
At the time, two groups of medical practitioners, the Allopaths and the Homeopaths, were at odds and wished to reign supreme in Rochester’s hospitals. In 1887, the Homeopaths were able to get a charter for the incorporation of the Rochester Homeopathic Hospital, but lacked the funding, property, or building. The desires of Mrs. Sibley for an east side hospital and the desire of the homeopaths to have a hospital to go along with their charter were met through each other. The Rochester Homeopathic Hospital opened in 1889 on Monroe Avenue. In the same year, a training school for Nurses was established; the first out-patient department opened on Pearl Street, and the first edition of the leaflet was published.
The Hospital moved to 224 Alexander Street in 1894. The next two decades reflected steady growth of patient numbers and hospital facilities. By 1926, the practice of homeopathic medicine had decreased and allopathic medicine was predominate at the hospital and to reflect this change, the hospital’s name was changed to the Genesee Hospital.
The Genesee Hospital has become a leader locally and nationally in such areas as gastroenterology, coronary care and cardiology, renal and pulmonary treatment, and oncology. The Genesee hospital became affiliated with the Greater Rochester Health System in 1994 and with ViaHealth in 1997. The Genesee Hospital closed its doors in 2001.
RG-01 Board of Governors
Boxes 1-27 Arranged chronologically into four series.
Consisting of Membership, Board Minutes, Board Sub-Committees, and annual reports.
RG-02 Board of Supervisors
Box 28, Original order
Consisting of minutes (1963-1969), membership lists.
RG-03 Medical Staff
Box 29-30
Contains medical board minutes (1931-1940); medical staff meeting & minutes (1889-1939); Executive Committee Minutes & correspondence (1915-1931); house staff lists, staff treasurer’s book (1900-1914); and misc.
RG-04 Board of Managers
Box 31
Consists of Board minutes (1904-1912)
RG-05 Superintendent
Box 31
Contains miscellaneous correspondence of Maude Johnston
RG-06 Financial Records
Box 32
Consists of financial records including ledgers (1889-1905); cash books (1903-1912); cost analysis, explanations of accounts; auditor’s reports and donor books.
RG-07 Department of Nursing
Box 33
Consists of Meeting minutes of the Nursing/Attending Liaison Committee (1980-1995);
Miscellaneous correspondence and Scheduled Nursing Assignments (1989-1993)
RG-08 Allied Organizations
Box 34, Arranged chronologically.
Contains minutes of the Medical & Dental Auxiliary (1971-1983); Genesee Hospital Auxiliary minutes (1952-1970); by-laws, board lists; Visiting Committee minutes (1889-1910) and Internees Alumni Association minutes (1942).
RG-09 Medical Department Records
Boxes 35-49, Arranged chronologically.
Contains daily record of patients (1899-1909); case histories (1889-1906); recovery room records (1954-1969); Operating room records (1891-1958); private outside surgicals (1948-1955) ; and surgical specimens (1954-1961) Also includes patient indexes, in-patient stats, admissions & patient days by doctor (1949-1964)
RG-10 Historical Sketches
Box 50, Arranged alphabetically.
Contains historical writings about the hospital including Dr. M.A. Barnard’s manuscript titled Genesee Hospital- History for March 1935, Grover Sampson’s Reminiscences about his time as an ambulance driver, The Genesee Hospital-Surgical notes, and When Rochester was a City of Horse Cars.
RG-12 Subject Files
Boxes 51-60, Arranged alphabetically.
Contains a wide variety of materials from 1890s-1990s. Includes folders on Dr R.A. Adams, Lawrence J. Bradley, Curtis Committee, Hospital Surveys, Interns, Rochester hospital fund, TGH long range plans, and volunteers. Also included are extensive files on the 50th, 75th, and 100th, anniversary celebrations.
RG-13 Publications
Boxes 61-73, Arranged chronologically.
Contains The Hospital leaflet (1889-1919), The Genesee Accord (1973-1994), Genesee Forum (1989-1995), Genesee Inter-Com (1946-1976), Genesee People (1977-1995), RX Facts (1969-1991), Volunteer Voice (1977-1988); and miscellaneous hospital publications, including recruiting brochures for interns and nurses, events, notices, etc.