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Nazareth Hospital 25th Anniversary 1931-1956
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We have here a copy of the cover of a booklet marking the 25th anniversary (1931 - 1956) of Mineral Well's Nazareth Hospital. The brochure contains pictures of the religious, medical, nursing and administrative staff, with interior scenes of departments, patients and equipment. The Mineral Wells Clinic was built soon after the current Crazy Hotel opened in 1927 to replace the Crazy Flats that burned in 1925. In 1931, the Holy Sisters of the Nazareth purchased the 46-bed facility for $135,000 and moved into the top floor of the building to live and minister to the patients. The staff began with a staff of six Sisters, one R.N., a janitor, and twelve doctors. They admitted 304 patients, of which 30% were paying patients, 23% were only partial payers, and 47% were charity cases. Eight were neonates. The staff expanded in 1939 to thirteen Sisters, (of which two were R.N.'s, and another was an anesthetist) four Graduate R.N.'s, two Nurses' Aides, a male nurse, a janitor and two handy-men. They had admitted 649 patients, of which 66 were neonates. 53 3/4% paid their way, 17% part-paid, and 29% were charity cases. The hospital ran on three 8-hour shifts twenty-fours a day and seven days a week. All hospital equipment (and the hospital linens) were used three times as long as usual, because of their expense. A Women's Auxiliary was established in 1931 to render all possible assistance to the running of the hospital--especially in defraying the cost of patients who couldn't pay their way.. The hospital was closed in the mid-sixties, and temporarily moved to the Crazy Hotel until the present [2009] hospital was built.