The History of Holland Hospital by Mrs. W. C. Kools Our First Holland Hospital In 1916, due to the lack of hospital facilities, a group of Holland citizens got together to organize a hospital. Up to 1916 there was a small private hospital on the north side of Lake Macatawa, run by Miss Marie Barendse, a registered nurse and her mother who did the housework. On 7 September 1916 a resolution was presented to the Holland City Council by Alderman Nicholas Kammeraad, later mayor, for a special hospital committee appointed by A. H. Landwehr, the president of the Chamber of Commerce. The members of this committee consisted of Ex-Mayor Nicodemus Bosch, chairman, Dr. Abraham Leenhouts, Henry Geerlings, Attorney George E. Kollen and Henry Winter. On 7 September 1916 the first plan was to have a hospital back of the City Hall. $15,000 was to be raised. The resolution provided that the Council would rent to the Hospital Association, the lot immediately west of the City Hall for $1.00 per annum, and would furnish heat, light and janitor service for the three-story 16 bed hospital contemplated at the time. The resolution carried unanimously. On 27 March 1917 the five committee members came again before the Council with $12,000 raised and a change of plans. Chairman Bosch outlined a proposition presented to him by William Kremers, speaking for the Dr. Kremers' estate. Mr. Kremers, in a letter to Mr. Bosch, offered the Kremers house on the corner of 12th Street and Central Avenue, together with the large brick garage or carriage house, to the Committee for?? $15,000, pledging $4,000.00 of the amount as a donation from the Kremers family; since it had always been ---------------------------------------------------------------------------??????????? The Kremers house was built by Mr. George Dalman in 1888. Dr. Henry Kremers - Born: 15 July 1850 in Drenthe, Michigan Died: 15 July 1914 He practised medicine in Holland, Michigan from 1880 until his death. Dr. Kremer married: 5 May 1877 to Alice VanZwaluwenburg, the daughter of Reyer Alice VanZwaluwenberg - Born: 29 July 1856 in Holland, Michigan Died: 22 August 1935 - Niagara Falls, NY Children: Will, Robert, Edward (a physician in Pasadena, Cal.), Clarence, Ernest This building which was accepted by the committee, now houses the Netherlands Museum and the garage or carriage house was used for many years by the Camp Fire Girls. The First Holland Hospital (Opened 26 January 1919) When used as a hospital the upstairs was used for a nurses home. The downstairs was used for a baby clinic. Regular Staff Dr. W. C. Kools - 1917 (1919 in Service) - 1920 - Back in Holland Dr. William Tappan Dr. William Westrate, Sr. Dr. T. A. Boot Dr. Cornie Fisher Dr. Henry Boss Dr. Daniel G. Cook Dr. Fred Yonker Dr. James Mabbs Dr. A. J. Brower Consulting Staff Dr. W. G. Winter, Sr. Dr. Abraham Leenhouts Dr. Rudolph Nichols Dr. George Thomas Miss Marie Barendse, the registered nurse who ran the small private hospital on the north side, came to work in the Holland Hospital, but for a very short time. Miss Mable Miller, a 1918 graduate of Butterworth Hospital and Miss Rena Boven, a 1919 graduate of Butterworth Hospital came to work in Holland Hospital on 26 January 1919. The first nurses were all registered nurses. Miss Mabel Miller - Superintendent Miss Rena Boven - Asst. Superintendent Miss Janet Lam - worked at the hospital for one year. She left as the work was too difficult. She had to do all the work while Miss Miller and Miss Boven worked in surgery. She returned in 1926. At this time they still wore their school uniforms with black shoes and stockings. Later: In 1922 Miss Fenna VanVessem - Presbyterian Hospital, Chicago Miss Edna Gingrich - Grand Rapids Miss Amanda Brandt - Grand Rapids Miss Ethel Sabin - Grand Rapids Miss Edna E. DeYoung - Grand Rapids Miss Nancy Nies - Miss Helen Joldersma - Muskegon (Hackley) worked for a short time, then went to China as a missionary nurse, and died there after a short period. In 1923 Miss Bessie Ploeg - Grand Rapids - later went to China, worked for Dr. Perkens Miss Deanetta Ploeg - Grand Rapids - later went to China, worked for Dr. Perkens Miss Sarah Johanna Boven - Blodgett Hospital Miss Sena Beltman - Butterworth Hospital Miss Roseltha Sears - Blodgett Hospital Miss Clara Holkeboer - Butterworth Hospital At that time the patients were mostly surgical cases and a few obstetrical cases, as many cases were delivered at home; besides Miss Miller and Miss Boven, five nurses were on day duty and after 10 p.m. one nurse was on night duty till 7 a.m. The working hours were from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with two hours off. When possible the nurse had one-half day off a week, and four hours off on Sundays. In case of emergency the night nurse could call for help from the nurses' home - by calling from the telephone in the kitchen. The first floor of the hospital had a three bed womans' ward (back of the office) which originally was the music room. A four bed mens' ward was originally the living room. Back of which was supposed to be the dining room, were two beds to be used for either men or women. A step down to the conservatory was the nursery. This room was also used by the doctors as a dressing room for surgery or obstetrics. A perfect "set up", as the babies were the only "peepers". On cold nights, however the baby beds were placed on the kitchen table, for a little extra warmth from an open oven door. The janitor would tend to the furnace at eleven o'clock p.m. and wouldn't be seen again until early morning when he had to stoke up the furnace and put on some more coal. The second floor had two beautiful private rooms, one facing north on Twelfth and west on Central Avenue, this also had a private bathroom. The other room facing north on Twelfth soon was changed into a semi-private. On the back (south side) was a semi-private. Between the two semi-private rooms facing the east was the operating room - also used for a delivery room. Both the semi-private rooms on the back and small private room (facing west) were up a few steps on the hall way - next to which was a stairway leading to the kitchen where we had a telephone. All the patients going to the operating room or delivery room had to be taken up on the stretcher, which was kept about half way between the floors. The rates were $5.00 a day for a private ($6.00 for the room with a bathroom); $3.00 for a semi-private and $2.50 for wards. The charge for babies was $.50 a day. One woman did all the laundry work, and also washed and ironed the nurses' uniforms. She seemed to be working all day long. There was a very pleasant atmosphere in the whole hospital. The nurses visited with all the patients. The patients were all bed patients, and it meant a lot of work for the nurses, as they had to have complete care, such as cleaning up, brushing teeth, dressings changed, backs rubbed, binders changed and made comfortable before the night.

 

Transcriber: ES
Created: 15 October 2012