• #FlashbackFriday 1967: New Physical Medicine space and facilities

a 1967 photo of Lucy Sivly and Janet Borg, PT aides; Lorraine Jensen and Edwin Wessner, staff therapists; and walk-in tank and two Hubbard tanks for hydrotherapy

This article first appeared February 10, 1967, in the publication Mayovox. The new 794-bed Rochester Methodist Hospital had been open for a few months. One of the services to show off its new space was Physical Medicine, which moved into an area about four times larger than the space it had occupied previously.

These photographs (by Elman Hanken, Section of Photography) show the Physical Medicine section at Methodist Hospital which provides about four times the area available in the old hospital. Patient load has approximately doubled (from thirty to sixty patients per day) and is expected to reach a maximum of about ninety patients per day. New services at Methodist (including those previously located at the Worrall Building) have generated the increase in number of patients.

a 1967 photo of Dr. Gordon Martin, consultant in Physical Medicine; Ellen Mittelstadt, desk attendant; and Esther Swartz, Physical Therapy supervisor

The Physical Medicine unit in the new Methodist Hospital is on third floor, in convenient proximity to elevators. It is staffed by the supervisor, two staff therapists, two aides and two orderlies. Four senior students from the School of Physical Therapy are also assigned there. Consultants in Physical Medicine rotate in covering the service. In the photograph above are Dr. Gordon Martin, consultant in Physical Medicine, Ellen Mittelstadt, desk attendant and Esther Swartz, Physical Therapy supervisor.

a 1967 photo of Physical Therapy senior student Genevieve McElroy in the treatment area

The photo above shows Physical Therapy senior student Genevieve McElroy in the treatment area with ten booths.

a 1967 photo staff occupational therapist Sally Kuhn and Nancy Arndt, OT aide

At left (above) is staff occupational therapist Sally Kuhn; at right is Nancy Arndt, OT aide.

a 1967 photo of Janet Borg and Lucy Sivly, PT aides; Melvin Peterson, orderly; and Edwin Wessner, staff therapist in the gymnasium

In the gymnasium are Miss Borg, Melvin Peterson, orderly, Mr. Wessner and Mrs. Sivly.

An Occupational Therapy unit is available for the first time at Methodist Hospital. Previously patients for whom occupational therapy was recommended were served by therapists from the Saint Marys Occupational Therapy unit.  Space is also provided within the Physical Medicine department for speech pathologists. In most instances patients who come for speech therapy or for occupational therapy are patients who also receive physical therapy.