Anyone Remember The United States Public Health Service Hospitals?

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Until Ronald Regan ordered it closed back in the 1980's we had one on Staten Island, NY, and IIRC there were at least seven others.

Maybe am not looking in the proper section but don't see much talk here about them. Seems the concept (federal government owned hospitals) would be a great idea for the underserved areas of the country

WOW ! You really know your hospital facts. I often wonder if PHS started taking in various forms of insurance so as not to burden the government, could it have been successful?

Rock

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WOW ! You really know your hospital facts. I often wonder if PHS started taking in various forms of insurance so as not to burden the government, could it have been successful?

Rock

No, don't think there was any way of saving the PHS hospitals. If they had survived Ronald Reagan and GOP "federal budget cut" mania of early 1980's by now most would likely have gone either way.

Whatever stated early goals for the PHS hospitals were, by the 1970's most had large patient loads of poor/indigent. Merchant Seaman (who by even 1970's and 1980's were well enough paid) represented a small number of patients. Immigrants long since stopped arriving by ship loads to major harbor cities, but came by airplane. All having had their health screened/checked before leaving their home countries.

If PHS hospitals began taking payments for inpatient care it is/was all but certain the large numbers of indigent would be on Medicaid and or Medicare. So again federal hospitals would have been in direct competition with private institutions.

In order to attract high paying/well insured patients all those old PHS hospitals would have needed huge renovations to bring them up to (then) modern local and accreditation standards (as federal hospitals they got a pass). Congress and Reagan were in no mood to provide that kind of money.

I remember the old PHS hospital on SI with all those open wards. They were great for bed making, taking vital signs, handing out and collecting meal trays, AM or PM care and so forth (station supplies at front and work one's way down and around the beds...), but totally a no-no far as NYS and accreditation standards had been for ages. Semi-private and or private rooms were mandated, for one thing in order to receive Medicaid/Medicare payments.

PUBLIC HEALTH HOSPITAL ON S.I. ORDERED TO CLOSE - The New York Times

Marine Hospital - Free Healthcare For US Mariners? - Professional Mariner Forum - gCaptain Forum

Marine Hospital - Free Healthcare For US Mariners? - Professional Mariner Forum - gCaptain Forum

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WOW ! You really know your hospital facts. I often wonder if PHS started taking in various forms of insurance so as not to burden the government, could it have been successful?

Rock

This pretty much spells out why USPSH/Bayley Seton closed: PROGNOSIS FOR S.I. HOSPITAL: GOOD AS GONE - NY Daily News

Nothing has really changed since, in fact things have only really gotten worse. Costs to renovate or whatever that physical plant likely are double or triple estimates given in above article.

Even then that would still give you a huge hospital with far too many inpatient beds for the modern trend favoring outpatient care.

Article also pretty much tells why nothing is "happening" at BS hospital.

As you know Staten Island residents for most part are famously anti-development and against high density. Logical use for BS campus would be some sort of housing, especially for seniors which SI desperately needs. But locals don't want that either, and after the whole Mount Manresa mess people are spoiling for a fight.

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Senior housing was once proposed by Salvation Army in the seven (7) story structure. I was anticipating a reservation for myself, but it apparently is not going to happen.

PS I'm eighty-eight (88) years old.

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Senior housing was once proposed by Salvation Army in the seven (7) story structure. I was anticipating a reservation for myself, but it apparently is not going to happen.

PS I'm eighty-eight (88) years old.

Congrats on a life well lived.

You probably have forgotten more about SI than I know.

Sadly the place is changing, though live in Manhattan a good part of my family (including widowed mother) are still on SI, so am out there often. Used to think would retire back "home", but increasingly don't see that as an option. SI is just getting too crowded and congested for my tastes; and traffic is terrible.

Yes, they do need more senior housing as well as affordable on SI; but no one wants apartments/high density. Did you look into the Farm Colony or whatever they are calling former Seaview Hospital campus turned into senior housing?

Seems incredible that back in day Staten Island had less population but five acute care hospitals (Staten Island, Richmond Memorial, Doctor's, USPHS, and Saint Vincent's), but now with more people there are only three; Richmond University and the two campuses of Staten Island University Hospital.

This yet there are still the same three (more or less) schools of nursing on SI; Saint Vincent's (now Saint Paul's), College of Staten Island and Wagner. Am guessing many grads find themselves going to Brooklyn, Manhattan or NJ since cannot imagine the hospitals of SI can absorb all those newly licensed nurses that arrive like clockwork every six or so months.

It may not be in either of our lifetimes (am about forty years younger), but the old USPSH/BS campus will be developed into something. At nearly 25 acres with much of it having great views of the Narrows, it is just too valuable to leave sitting to rot and ruin.

BdeB, Debbie Rose and city government in general is pushing development for Saint George/North Shore area. They've already go Urby, and the Lighthouse apartments, and IIRC plans are for rezoning more of the Bay Street corridor. *If* they can get density and demographics to support, maybe in twenty or so years a much smaller hospital *might* open on USPHS campus. Something

In short what became of Saint Vincent's, and is becoming of Beth Israel; a small acute care hospital without an ER, but some sort of urgent care center apart from main hospital but nearby.

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Wow you know your 'Island". You could qualify for Island Historian. The last one we had passed away, and I don't know if he was replaced.

Farm Colony will not be ready in my lifetime, I believe. Some buildings need to be restored, others need to be raised, it's a large project.

I worked in Seaview when it was a tuberculosis sanitorium. Many of the building are vacant and in disrepair. The Nurses' Quarters has been renovated and is available to Seniors. The rental is $1500.00 mo. Two (2) five-story buildings are in production for Seniors. These structures will have stores under ground, I am told. They will be available to low-income Seniors whose incomes do not exceed $26,000.00.

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Rock

On 10/29/2018 at 7:58 AM, Rock4321 said:

Wow you know your 'Island". You could qualify for Island Historian. The last one we had passed away, and I don't know if he was replaced.

Farm Colony will not be ready in my lifetime, I believe. Some buildings need to be restored, others need to be raised, it's a large project.

I worked in Seaview when it was a tuberculosis sanitorium. Many of the building are vacant and in disrepair. The Nurses' Quarters has been renovated and is available to Seniors. The rental is $1500.00 mo. Two (2) five-story buildings are in production for Seniors. These structures will have stores under ground, I am told. They will be available to low-income Seniors whose incomes do not exceed $26,000.00.

Rock4321, you are 1 year older than my father who was there for over 20 yrs in the 60's and 70's. Any chance you remember him? James Fields (head of dermatology)? We lived in Quarters 7 for 15 yrs. Finally moved in 1978.

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5 hours ago, rngeneral said:

Rock

Rock4321, you are 1 year older than my father who was there for over 20 yrs in the 60's and 70's. Any chance you remember him? James Fields (head of dermatology)? We lived in Quarters 7 for 15 yrs. Finally moved in 1978.

Of course I know him, we worked together for ten years in Derm.

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Seripusly? He is still living you know? I'd love to reintroduce you all. Can you shoot.me an email at

[email protected] ?

Rock

On 10/29/2018 at 7:58 AM, Rock4321 said:

Wow you know your 'Island". You could qualify for Island Historian. The last one we had passed away, and I don't know if he was replaced.

Farm Colony will not be ready in my lifetime, I believe. Some buildings need to be restored, others need to be raised, it's a large project.

I worked in Seaview when it was a tuberculosis sanitorium. Many of the building are vacant and in disrepair. The Nurses' Quarters has been renovated and is available to Seniors. The rental is $1500.00 mo. Two (2) five-story buildings are in production for Seniors. These structures will have stores under ground, I am told. They will be available to low-income Seniors whose incomes do not exceed $26,000.00.

Rock4321, you are 1 year older than my father who was there for over 20 yrs in the 60's and 70's. Any chance you remember him? James Fields (head of dermatology)? We lived in Quarters 7 for 15 yrs. Finally moved in 1978.

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I answered you, but I don't think it went through. I' m rot cojmputer literate yet.

Of courfse I know your father, we worked together for ten (10) years. He was a wonderful person and doctor. I have since retired from all work, except for my writings. I took up writing at age eighty-nine (89).

Rock

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

These still exist. They are called safety net hospitals.

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