Special GBMC Group Celebrates 140 Years

From Maroon PR: On Thursday, November 30, 2017, the Presbyterian Board of Lady Managers will gather to celebrate 140 years of helping residents of Baltimore with eye, ear, or throat illnesses obtain proper medical care. The celebration, featuring a luncheon and program, will be held at GBMC’s Civiletti Conference Center.

The Presbyterian Board of Lady Managers supports the stellar efforts of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) to assist patients with eye, ear, and throat issues, with special attention being paid to Richard E. Hoover Low Vision Services and the Cochlear Implant Programs offered by the hospital.

“GBMC is fortunate to have had the partnership of the Board of Lady Managers since our hospital’s founding in 1965,” said Dr. John Chessare, President and CEO of GBMC HealthCare. “The Board’s generous and consistent support has helped many patients with eye, ear and throat issues get the care they need. We congratulate the Board on 140 years of outstanding community service!”

Created in 1877 by Mrs. Payton R. Harrison, a member of Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church located in Bolton Hill, The Presbyterian Board of Lady Managers originally supplied donated provisions, worked the wards and kept records of dispensary visits and surgeries performed at Dr. Julian J. Chisholm’s Baltimore Eye and Ear Clinic, originally located in his carriage house, to serve those in need of treatment who could not otherwise afford care. The women on the Board gathered from local Presbyterian churches all over Baltimore.

As the number of patients needing care grew, so did the clinic. After moving to a larger building and hiring a full-time staff of nurses, technicians, pharmacists, dieticians, housekeeping and administrative personnel, the practice became known as the Presbyterian Eye, Ear, and Throat Charity Hospital. The Presbyterian Board of Lady Managers no longer needed to work the wards or keep the records, however they continued to support the work Dr. Chisholm began. The Board raised funds to support the clinic through benefits, open houses, tours and bazaars, with each event’s funds gifted to the hospital.

“The Presbyterian Board of Lady Managers is proud of the care that has been provided to so many who may not have otherwise been helped, and of the partnership that has existed with such a fine institution at GBMC for 52 years,” said Anne Zouck Perry, Vice President of The Presbyterian Board of Lady Managers. “Our 140th anniversary is so special, as we have come far yet still have work to do. Participation by Presbyterian churches in the GBMC service area has lessened over the years, so we invite any local Presbyterian women who may be interested in joining this effort to continue the tradition of service through acts of faith, generosity and human concern, to reach out and get involved.”

In 1965, the Presbyterian Eye, Ear, and Throat Charity Hospital agreed to unite with the Hospital for the Women of Maryland to form the facility we know today as The Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), Towson’s only community based independent hospital.

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