Radical changes are soon to be made in the manner and methods of managing St. Mark’s Hospital. Amended articles of association outlining the changes are soon to be filed. It is intended to change the name to Butterworth Hospital in honor of R. E. Butterworth whose generosity made the establishment of the institution possible. The bord of trustees is to be enlarged and the mayor of the city is to be made ex-officio a member of the board as advising regent. The medical staff will be reduced from 25 to 10 or 12 and all reputable physicians of all recognized schools of medicine will be admitted to practice. Charity work will be limited to the fund available for the purpose.

The change in name is contemplated to do away with the impression that the hospital is simply an adjunct of St. Mark’s church and that its benefactions are confined to members of that society and that it will be supported by that church. It is hoped by making such radical changes that the usefulness of the hospital will be materially enlarged while its charities will be more generously supported by the public. Heretofore destitute persons have been cared for without money and without price, a policy which, while humanitarian, has proved disastrous for the finances of the institution. In the future charity patients will be received only when enough money remains in the fund to pay for their care. If the charitable and philanthropic are generous enough with their contributions, the charity work will be carried on, on a commensurate scale, otherwise it will be allowed to drop.

A meeting will be held tomorrow afternoon to determine definitely upon the future course of the hospital. The amended articles are to be adopted and the proposed changes will doubtless go into effect by September 1, if not earlier.

Article in the Evening Press, January 27, 1894

St. Mark’s Hospital

A Change in Name and the Long-Talked of Re-organization Effected

Articles of association were filed this morning with the county clerk by the trustees of St. Mark’s Home and Hospital. The new articles have been under contemplation for some time, but were not formally adopted until yesterday afternoon. A decided alteration is made and the name of the institution is changed to the Butterworth hospital. The number of trustees is increased from seven to 13.

The agreeable announcement is made that in the future the hospital will be conducted on the broadest lines. In religion it will be undenominational and any reputable physician with a diploma from any reliable college will be permitted to practice. A new feature is that any person by paying $2 per year, or $20 for a life membership can join the corporation, and all persons who are authorized to vote at the annual meeting of St. Mark’s church in any year, shall be a member of the corporation for the same year. The officers will consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and advisory regent, the latter being the mayor of the city.

The name is adopted in honor of the memory of the late R. E. Butterworth, who generously endowed St. Mark’s hospital and made it possible to erect the present building. In regard to physicians the articles of association say: "No reputable physician or surgeon authorized by laws of this state to practice medicine, or surgery shall be precluded from sending his patients to and from treating them at the hospital belonging to the corporation under the general rules and regulations therefore".

The objects of the association are stated to be as follows: "To furnish a home and hospital for sick and needy, irrespective of sect or creed, and to relieve the necessities of persons requiring any assistance by any charitable means that may seem proper, and to educate and train nurses for the care of the sick".

Willard Barnhart, Dr. George K. Johnson, Anton G. Hodenpyl, E. Crofton Fox, Samuel Sears, Niram A. Fletcher, Joseph Houseman, Edward Lowe, Henry Idema, Joseph W. Rosenthal and J. Boyd Pantlind constitute the board of trustees, the last five being added under the new articles of association. Dr. Campbell Fair and Mayor William J. Stuart are trustees ex-officio. April 25 of each year the annual election will be held and three trustees will be elected for a term of four years each.