2006–The Centennial Year of Social Work at Bellevue

(November/December 2003)

By Patricia Blau, CSW, Director of Social Work, Bellevue Hospital Center

As we approach 2006, the centennial year of Social Work at Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in the USA, founded in 1736, we reflect on how social work in health care has remained the same and how it has changed. Mary E. Wadley, a public health nurse, was the first social worker at Bellevue. This occurred simultaneously with the founding of the Women’s Auxiliary. There was a strong recognition that the social and environmental conditions impacted on medical illnesses. Social work interventions at the time focused not only on the emotional impact of illness but also on the practical needs of the people - milk was distributed, patients were counseled on the importance of ventilation and fresh air. Today, the Social Work Department continues its close relationship with the Bellevue Auxiliary, which funds our special needs and clothing programs. And, we continue to meet the concrete needs of our patients by providing clothing, emergency transportation, and summer camp. The WIC Program now provides food coupons to pregnant women and infants.

Today, we continue to serve the indigent and new immigrant populations. We now have multi-cultural units in Psychiatry for Spanish and Asian patients. And, we have many special programs such as: the Project Liberty Grant, Sexual Assault Program, Domestic Violence Program, Adult and Child Crime Victim Programs, the Child Protections and Development Center, the Home Based Crisis Intervention Program, the Assisted Out-patient Treatment Program, the Survivors of Torture Program, and an ever growing Cancer Center.

In 1917 Bellevue trained it’s first social-work graduate students! We continue to have an active student program involving all of the regional schools. Many of our multi-lingual, bi-cultural staff is currently attending these schools on scholarship. We look forward to their joining our MSW ranks and providing culturally sensitive services to our very diverse patient population.
The Bellevue Hospital Center Social Work Department is a 24 hour-7-day-a week department comprised of highly skilled professionals, involved in all programs at the hospital. We are proud to continue to provide a full range of social work services to NYC’s neediest residents.

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