Since opening the doors of its new hospital in January, 1966, St. Mary’s Hospital, Athens, has experienced a period of rapid growth in the number of in-patients and out-patients as well as in the volume of services rendered.

There were several new service departments added to St. Mary’s in its new facility; a Physical Therapy Department and a Nuclear Medicine Department. The Physical Therapy Department has been by far the fastest growing department with a total of 5,200 treatments in the past eight months compared to only 1,600 treatments for the same period during the last fiscal year.

The accelerated number of treatments being given has demonstrated the increasing importance of the role of physical therapy as a part of in-patient hospital care. The hospital also reports that the emergency department averages 300 patients per month more in 1967 than 1966.

The major expansion at St. Mary’s has not been in facilities or services, but in educational programs for employees, students in health occupations, and Neighborhood Youth Corps trainees.

Particular notice can be given to St. Mary’s In-service Education Program. Confronted by higher costs, a shortage of professional nurses, and the changing character in nursing education, prudent administrators, the nation over, are looking favorably upon such programs. In-service education does more than educate staff members; it helps ensure safer and better service to patients. In addition, St. Mary’s cosponsored a refresher course in nursing for inactive professional nurses.

The aim is to provide opportunity for inactive registered nurses to review and update nursing knowledge and skills so that at the completion of the course they can direct nursing care to patients under the direction of a team leader or head nurse.

During the past year St. Mary’s cooperated with the Athens Area Vocational School and the Clarke County Board of Education in establishing a School of Practical Nursing which has been approved by the Georgia State Board of Nursing. The students of practical nursing receive their clinical experience at St. Mary’s. Upon completion of the one-year program the graduates are eligible for licensure as practical nurses.

St. Mary’s, in cooperation with the Athens Area Vocational School, also offers a three-month nursing aide course. These students in this program receive over 400 hours of theory in addition to clinical experience offered at St. Mary’s. The graduates of this program are prepared to function as effective members of the nursing team in hospitals and nursing homes.

For a number of years St. Mary’s Hospital has maintained an approved School of Medical Technology affiliated with the American Society of Clinical Pathologist. A minimum of three years of collegiate study is followed by 12 months of intensive hospital training. Graduates of the school are then eligible to take the ASCP National Registry Examination. Three years ago one of the graduates of the St. Mary’s School made the highest score in the nation in the ASCP National Registry Examination. Incidentally the student who received “No. 1” honors was the daughter of Auburn’s head football coach, Ralph (Shug) Jordan. The School of Medical Technology will be considering a program of refresher training for inactive medical technologist similar to the Registered Nurse Refresher Training.

The Department of Laboratories is participating with vocational school programs for certified laboratory assistants. Students spend about six months in the hospital furthering their education with lectures and practical demonstrations.

Other educational programs are in the discussion stage between the hospital and the Athens Area Vocational School for surgical technicians and medical assistants.

As part of their curriculum senior students in the University of Georgia School of Pharmacy get sufficient exposure to this aspect of their profession.

This summer St. Mary’s is again participating with the Neighborhood Youth Corps Project, having some 35 NYC trainees in various departments throughout the hospital. The on-the-job training that these teenage men and women are receiving is for many the first work experience. They are learning such jobs as orderly, pharmacy helper, nursing aide, food service worker, typing and filing, etc.

St. Mary’s in the past year has assumed a much greater role as a continuing education center in the many and various programs being offered. Educational endeavors are as much a part of a hospital’s obligation as patient care and research.