O'Connor Hospital

O'Connor Hospital is a hospital in San Jose, California, part of the Santa Clara County Health System. Located in the West San Carlos neighborhood of San Jose, O'Connor Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in Santa Clara County, founded in 1889.

O'Connor Hospital was founded in 1889, and was the first hospital in Santa Clara County, California. O'Connor Hospital was built by Judge Myles P. O'Connor and his wife, Amanda. The original hospital was built on 15 acres (6.1 ha) of property on the corner of West San Carlos Street between Meridian Ave and Race Street.

The O'Connors were very well known as being benefactors of many charitable organizations. The O'Connors' first thoughts were to build an elderly home, however, the demands of the community at that time was for a hospital. Patrick Riordan, Archbishop of San Francisco, suggested that a hospital should be built as “a sanitarium for the sick and a home for the aged”.

The area where the sanitarium was built had been open orchard and farm land prior to the sanitariums construction; as such the sanitarium was surrounded by fourteen acres of beautiful grounds surrounded the sanitarium limiting the possibility of any adjacent structure crowding close enough to interfere with the grounds. The spacious grounds were tastefully laid out in lawns and orchard, orange plot and pinery. The grounds were bisected by numerous walkways and driveways, offering opportunities for exercise and recreation alike.^[1]

The substantial brick buildings, were grouped in architectural harmony, comprise a main building, two wings, chapel, kitchen, laundry, power house and stables. Isolated from these, stood the Isolation Building for contagious diseases. Numerous sheltered porches, a solarium, and a garden pavilion enable the convalescent to enjoy the benefits of the outdoor air. All the buildings are well lighted and ventilated.^[1]

The different departments are completely equipped, each to meet its own special needs. They comprise the surgical, medical, obstetrical, X-ray and electro-therapeutic departments, a clinical laboratory and pharmacy, and the isolation building for the care of contagious diseases.^[1]

The sanitarium was especially equipped for the care of surgical cases. The operating rooms were as complete and up-to-date in arrangement and equipment as it was possible to make them at the time, and the rooms were sunny and well lit. Owing to the favorable location of the Institution, the ideal climate, and extensive grounds, its facilities for the best treatment were thought to be ideal for the patients; two large wards for male and female patients were maintained and a smaller ward was available for chronic cases. In addition to these there was also a children's ward with special attention being paid to their needs.^[1]

Extensive improvements were made in the obstetrical division of the hospital. In addition to the private rooms, a newly remodeled and equipped ward has been arranged. Adjoining this is the delivery room with interior finish, furnishings, and equipment planned to provide every convenience for the physician and safeguard for the patient. The nursery, with its row of basket-beds, open grate fireplace and sanitary tubs, is ideally arranged.^[1]

The department of electro-therapeutics and radiography has been fully developed and equipped with costly paraphernalia and will prove of the utmost value in facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases and injuries. The equipment is of the very highest standard and latest design. The X-ray department has been enlarged and transferred to a suite of rooms in the surgical annex, where its convenience will be greatly increased.^[1]

Special apparatus consisting of a Kelly-Koett eye localizer for foreign bodies, a bullet, or foreign body localizes, a Roentgen stereoscope, and numerous minor accessories, all tend to enhance the value of this department. The electro-therapeutic room has a complete set of equipment for the use of electricity as a medicinal agent. An elaborate Wappler cabinet furnishes all varieties of the electric current. A pneumo massage apparatus is included. Special diagnostic instruments, electrically illuminated, of the latest approved models, facilitate the diagnosis of the diseases of all accessible organs and tissues. A large Victor eye magnet for the extraction of foreign bodies has also been installed.^[1]

El laboratorio químico y patológico ha demostrado ser de gran utilidad para el hospital y los médicos tratantes. Un equipo completo con todos los aparatos, productos químicos y suministros biológicos necesarios para el trabajo analítico, bacteriológico y patológico moderno está a disposición de los médicos tratantes que deseen aprovechar sus ventajas en beneficio de sus pacientes o para trabajos de investigación originales. ^{[ 1 ]}

Se construyó un edificio de aislamiento que se inauguró en 1910. Todas las enfermedades altamente contagiosas e infecciosas —sarampión, escarlatina , difteria, erisipela, etc.— no pueden ser ingresadas ni tratadas en las salas y habitaciones del hospital general, y debido a la falta de dicho edificio, muchas personas se han visto privadas de las instalaciones que se ofrecen para la realización científica y la cuarentena eficaz de estas enfermedades. El edificio de aislamiento fue construido gracias a la generosidad del Sr. y la Sra. C. D. Blaney, y está dirigido por las Hermanas de la Caridad de San Vicente de Paúl. Rodeado por sus propios terrenos, está completamente separado de los edificios principales del hospital. La disposición interior es tal que no existe riesgo de exposición mutua entre pacientes con diferentes enfermedades contagiosas o infecciosas. ^{[ 1 ]}

El sanatorio no contaba con fondos propios; sus únicos ingresos provenían de los pacientes que pagaban. Sus servicios no estaban reservados a ninguna clase de pacientes en particular, sino que se ofrecían a todo aquel que necesitara ayuda, independientemente de su credo. Los médicos de San José, pertenecientes a todas las facultades de medicina reconocidas, frecuentaban el sanatorio, contribuyendo así de manera significativa a su sostenimiento al ayudar a sufragar los gastos. A principios de la década de 1920, el sanatorio atendía entre setenta y cinco y noventa pacientes diariamente.

En el sanatorio existía una escuela de formación de enfermeras. Esta escuela se constituyó y funcionó según los mejores métodos de la época, adoptando el plan de estudios habitual de las escuelas de formación de hospitales generales. El personal de la escuela impartía clases teóricas dos veces por semana, y el director también dirigía clases prácticas dos veces por semana.

En 1953, el Hospital O'Connor se trasladó a su ubicación actual en Forest Avenue, ^{[ 2 ]} el hospital original fue demolido posteriormente 2 años después en 1955. ^{[ 3 ]}

A partir de 2020, el Hospital O'Connor es un centro de atención aguda de 358 camas que ofrece programas médicos, quirúrgicos y especializados para pacientes hospitalizados y ambulatorios a más de 1 millón de residentes de San José. ^{[ 4 ]}

The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, at the invitation of the donors and suggestion of Archbishop Riordan, took possession/operation of the facility on March 19, 1889, and continued overseeing the operations of the hospital until 2002. In 2002, O'Connor Hospital became a member of the Daughters of Charity Health System until late 2019.

At that time, October 2019, Daughters of Charity announced they would be shedding the hospital for financial reasons and in December 2015, O'Connor Hospital became part of Verity Health System, a non-profit, non-religious health care system that sought to build on the rich legacy left by the Daughters of Charity Health System.^[5]

Santa Clara County acquired the hospital, from Veritas over the objections of state Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a deal that closed on February 28, 2019.^[6][7] The transfer of operations was a result of a $235 million bankruptcy Verity Health System's, the hospitals operator at the time, was facing. The hospitals were already receiving significant taxpayer assistance, at one point receiving an annual subsidy of $250 million; that subsidy later shrunk to $80 million auditing to the hospital financial difficulties.^[8] Verity, a nonprofit operator of six California hospitals, had bankruptcy protection in August 2018.^[8]

O'Connor Hospital is now part of the County of Santa Clara Health System, a collection of Santa Clara county owned and operated medical facilities that offer medical care throughout Santa Clara County. The Health System includes the Behavioral Health Services Department, Public Health Department, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center hospital and clinics, O'Connor Hospital, St. Louise Regional Hospital, Emergency Medical Services Agency, Custody Health Services Department, and Valley Health Plan.^[9] The hospitals and clinics are operated by the County under a consolidated license from the California Department of Public Health. The Hospitals and Clinics Delivery System is part of the broader County of Santa Clara Health System.^[4]

• Sitio web oficial
• Este hospital en el Atlas de Atención Médica de California Archivado el 1 de noviembre de 2014 en Wayback Machine Un proyecto de OSHPD