Senate Resolution No. 2524

BY: Senator GRIFFO

COMMEMORATING the 135th Anniversary of Rome Health

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to commend those
organizations that work to serve the health care needs of citizens of
the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 135th Anniversary of Rome Health; and

WHEREAS, The roots of Rome Health date back to 1883, when the Bureau
of Employment and Relief petitioned the City of Rome to establish a
Cottage Hospital to care for the sick and injured; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas M. Flandrau and his wife, Clarissa Foote
Flandrau, are credited as the co-founders of the Hospital due to their
efforts to arouse public sentiment following a railroad accident; the
victims were ultimately cared for at the Flandrau's private residence
because there was no alternative; and

WHEREAS, Successful in their efforts, the Cottage Hospital admitted
its first patient on April 3, 1884, and served 19 patients throughout
that year; and

WHEREAS, With the growth in population of the City of Rome, and with
complaints of the Cottage Hospital's closeness in proximity to the
railroad tracks, it became apparent the city needed a larger facility;
in 1887, Dr. Flandrau laid the cornerstone for the new Rome Hospital on
September 27, 1887; and

WHEREAS, Expanding numerous times out of necessity, Rome Hospital
added an annex in 1905 to provide a nursing school and living quarters
for the nurses attending; 13 years later, the hospital needed the annex
space for the care of patients, and a new home for the nurses was
constructed adjacent to the existing facility; and

WHEREAS, In 1920, James A. Murphy's bequest at the time of his death
provided enough money for the construction of a second hospital in the
City; this would become known as the Murphy Memorial Hospital; in 1929,
the City took over both hospitals, converting Murphy Memorial Hospital
into a maternity hospital; and

WHEREAS, The City of Rome later built a combined Rome Hospital and
Murphy Memorial Hospital on the current North James Street site; the new
hospital opened for public inspection on April 10, 1940, with 119 adult
beds and two for children, doubling the number of beds at the old
facility; and

WHEREAS, Before long, additional wings were added to the front of
the facility in 1967, opening up the potential to care for even more
patients; in 1976, the addition of the Bartlett Wing allowed for 88 more
patients beds; the wing was named in honor of Dr. Robert L. Bartlett,
the past Superintendent of the former Oneida County Hospital; and


WHEREAS, After some years of financial hardship with the City, the
ownership of the hospitals was transferred to a private, not-for-profit
corporation, leading to the creation of Rome Memorial Hospital on
December 31, 1994; and

WHEREAS, Free from the additional layers of management associated
with the City's governance, the hospital found itself successful in
launching several new services and expanding these vital services to a
number of off-site locations; and

WHEREAS, Today, the community's residents make up more than 100,000
visits to the Rome Health outpatient facilities, where its dedicated
staff cares for approximately 6,000 patients per year within its 129
acute care beds; Rome Health is additionally home to 80 residents living
in its skilled nursing facility; and

WHEREAS, From humble beginnings, Rome Health has evolved into a
valuable community asset by providing a full range of primary and
secondary healthcare services in addition to more than 1,000 jobs; and

WHEREAS, The success of Rome Health is in direct correlation to the
efforts of its hardworking and dedicated staff, all of whom are
considered integral parts of the success of Rome Health; their
involvement is, and always has been, characterized by an impressive
commitment, an unbridled enthusiasm, and an uncompromising standard of
excellence in all endeavors on behalf of the business and the community
it serves; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body recognizes the vital importance of
Rome Health in providing excellence in care through prevention,
education, and treatment, and its evident commitment to this mission;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 135th Anniversary of Rome Health; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Rome Health.