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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
It is National Hospital Week, a celebration that dates back to 1921 when it was suggested that more information about hospitals might alleviate public fears. Well, National Hospital Week has become the nation's largest health care event, and hospitals today are seen as places of hope.
Here in Utah, we are fortunate to have several hospitals that are renowned for their outstanding work in medicine. One in particular is St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake.
St. Mark's, Utah's first hospital, recently celebrated 130 years of providing health care to the community. It was organized at a time when medical care in the Salt Lake Valley was practically nonexistent. Hundreds of workers toiling in the mines and on the railroad suffered a variety of illnesses and injuries and the community wasn't prepared to treat those needs.
So Episcopal Bishop Daniel S. Tuttle founded St. Mark's in 1872. It was originally located in a small adobe house at 5th East and 4th South and included just six beds and one doctor. The hospital mainly treated people for lead poisoning, appendicitis and typhoid fever.
In addition to being the first hospital in the state, St. Mark's was the first to have an x-ray machine and an ambulance service. St. Mark's also established the first nursing school in the Intermountain West and was the original home of the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children.
Through the years, St. Mark's Hospital has continued to grow and meet the changing needs of the community. The hospital, which is now located at 12th East and 39th South in Salt Lake, includes three medical office buildings, outpatient surgery and a center specializing in women's services. St. Mark's also plays a vital role in the community by employing more than 1,700 people; contributing to the local, state and federal tax base; and providing millions of dollars of uncompensated care. During 2000, volunteers at St. Mark's donated 24,032 hours of unpaid service to the hospital and its patients.
So, it is today, the beginning of a week recognizing hospitals nationwide, that we spotlight a great one of our own-that is St. Mark's Hospital.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
