Vital Signs
Then & Now
A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from the 1955 Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital annual report:
"Our professional, technical,
and service staffs are well
trained, competent, and loyal,"
wrote the president of
the Board of Trustees. "The
statistical data provided you
will bear out the fact that
adequate coverage has been
provided in practically every
field of medical science.
This is as it should be,
because the first duty of a
hospital is of dedication to
the sick and ailing who
come seeking assistance."
55
M.D.'s practicing at Mary
Hitchcock Memorial
Hospital in 1955
888
M.D.'s (and equivalents)
practicing at DHMC
in 2010
A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from the 1980 DMS Bulletin:
"Research extends the
boundaries of knowledge
and thereby defines the
educational program. It is
not separate from teaching,
but is the means for educating
both educators and students.
. . . In 1979, the DMS
faculty received approximately
$4.4 million in
research funds . . . from federal
and private sources."
$160 million
Amount of research funding
received by members of the
DMS faculty in FY2010
85th percentile
DMS's ranking among all
U.S. medical schools on the
basis of National Institutes
of Health funding per basic
science faculty member
A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from the 1970 Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital Annual Review:
"We find ourselves gearing
up for a totally new era of
service," wrote MHMH's executive
director. "A unique
partnership with the Hitchcock
Clinic and Dartmouth
Medical School [is] resulting
in what is known as the
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical
Center. . . . It may be
expected that the Hospital
will become the base for a
number of communityoriented
health services."
158,108
Outpatient visits in 1980
1.79 million
Outpatient visits in 2010
515,592
2010 visits in Lebanon
1.27 million
2010 visits at other DH sites
A reminder of the pace of change, and of timeless truths, from a 1991 history of Mary Hitchcock Hospital:
"Hospital births—which had
declined during the depths
of the Depression, as women
had fewer babies and delivered
those they had at home—rose from 177 in 1936 to
316 in 1940." In 1946, a
41% increase in the number
of births at MHMH signaled
the start of the baby boom.
1,108
Births at DHMC in 2010
1940
Year Hitchcock acquired
its first incubator
1974
Year DHMC opened a
neonatal intensive care unit
30
Number of beds
in DHMC's NICU today
If you'd like to offer feedback about this article, we'd welcome getting your comments at DartMed@Dartmouth.edu.
This article may not be reproduced or reposted without permission. To inquire about permission, contact DartMed@Dartmouth.edu.