Stuart Circle Hospital records

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Commonwealth University, Cabell Library
James Branch Cabell Library
Virginia Commonwealth University
P.O. Box 842003
901 Park Avenue
Richmond, VA 23284-2003
Contact for questions and access:
POC: SCA Staff
Phone: (804) 828-1108
Fax: (804) 828-0151
Restrictions:

Collection is open to research.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Stuart Circle Hospital Collection, Accession #2001/Nov/11, Special Collections and Archives, Health Sciences Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.

Summary

Extent:
1.5 Linear Feet
Creator:
Stuart Circle Hospital (Richmond, Va.)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Stuart Circle Hospital Collection, Accession #2001/Nov/11, Special Collections and Archives, Health Sciences Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection's most prominent feature includes several hardbound copies of the Minutes of the Board of Directors dated from 1946 thru 1970. Also included are photographs and newspaper clippings regarding the hospital that appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch or News Leader. Not all records were saved at the time of the hospital's closure; the collection is missing more detailed information regarding the School of Nursing, and the daily operation of the Hospital and its staff.

Biographical / historical:

Stuart Circle Hospital opened in 1913. The location, at the beginning of Monument Ave, near the J.E.B. Stuart statute, was chosen for its quiet and peaceful vistas. Stuart Circle was opened by seven Richmond doctors who felt that a more individual approach to medicine would be better for their patients. These doctors, led by Dr. Lewis C. Bosher, formed the hospitals first Board of Directors.

Designed by Charles M. Robinson, a prolific designer of public buildings in Virginia, the hospital was a six story red brick building. Much of the sixth floor was dedicated to a large roof garden. Each floor had a solarium, a prominent feature of many hospitals built during this time, where patients could relax in what was thought as the healing rays of the sun. The hospital was constructed with marble and tile floors, high ceilings and large stairways to allow for more natural light.

Stuart Circle was deemed a closed staff hospital, meaning that the doctors worked amongst themselves. This gave the hospital a feeling of familiarity. All of the Doctors were members of the Board of Directors, so they all had equal standing in administering the hospital. In 1928, the Board grew from its initial seven members to ten, only adding doctors when a vacancy was created. The board created Stuart Circle Hospital, Inc. and this body controlled the hospital until they joined Charter Medical Corporation in 1975. Stuart Circle's Board was able to maintain its autonomy even after the merger.

Changes to the building were necessary as the hospital grew. By 1943, the roof garden and solariums had to be converted to patient rooms. In 1964, a new addition was built along the eastern side and was known as the 'new wing'. In 1978, after an attempt to move the hospital to Bon Air in Chesterfield County, the hospital underwent a major renovation, bringing the total number of patient beds to over 150, and adding a parking facility.

Stuart Circle was known for its innovations. In 1977, it started a pilot program and became one of the first hospitals to experiment with same-day surgery, as an alternative to hospital stays and their added expenses. It was the first hospital in Virginia to perform echocardiograms, and was known as a leader in advanced heart care. Stuart Circle also established a program for the deaf via a video tape explaining hospital procedures and policies, and was one of the first to champion the idea of patient education in healthcare.

Stuart Circle had a School of Nursing from 1914 to 1975. During those years it graduated 1063 nurses. After 1928, it was affiliated with the Richmond Professional Institute and later, Virginia Commonwealth University. The nursing students were now able to use their training at Stuart Circle to earn their bachelor's degree. One of its most distinguished Directors was Charlotte Pfeiffer, RN who served on the Virginia Board of Nursing from 1926-1936. She was also the President of the Virginia Nurses' Association from 1940-1942.

By 2000, the Hospital was closed. The building itself underwent another renovation as it was turned into luxury apartments and renamed One Monument Ave.

Acquisition information:
This collection was donated by Dr. Wyatt S. Beazley III.
Arrangement:

Records are arranged in chronological order.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard