90th anniversary flashback: The (Women’s) Auxiliary is created in 1936
As the JGH’s 90th anniversary approaches, JGH News today looks back at:
- The 1936 birth of the JGH Auxiliary
- How the JGH promoted its School of Nursing in 1955
- The launch of robot-assisted surgery in 2007
- A 1952 demonstration of new medical technology
Four new archival items appear every Tuesday in the 90 days leading up to the 90th anniversary on October 8. Everything that’s been published so far can be found in the JGH News archive.
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When the Jewish General Hospital opened in 1934, it had two crucial, ongoing needs: a steady source of funding to purchase medical equipment and supplies, plus a pool of dedicated volunteers.
The Auxiliary’s Gift Shop in the 1950s or ’60s.
Both were delivered by the Women’s Auxiliary (later known as the JGH Auxiliary), which flourished under its founding President, Annie Goldbloom, who served from 1936 to 1948.
The Auxiliary played a pivotal role by raising funds long before the JGH Foundation was created, and by providing much-needed services on a volunteer basis before the Department of Volunteer Services came into being. It continues to live up to both of these major responsibilities to this day.
The Women’s Auxiliary was born in 1936 and its creation was marked at a gala garden party. Before long, it had 1,850 members (rising to nearly 2,600 by 1945) and blossomed into one of Montreal’s most successful organizations of its kind.
Under Mrs. Goldbloom, it established numerous funds and committees. The most important, the Life Saving Fund, ensured that all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, received medical necessities, such as drugs and blood transfusions.
This committee also bought equipment, such as iron lungs, oxygen tents and x-ray machines.
In addition, the Women’s Auxiliary raised funds to purchase linens, surgical dressings, books for the medical library and layette packages (diapers, sweaters, bonnets, booties and blankets) for the needy mothers of newborns.
After World War II, with the arrival of many Jewish refugees, the Women’s Auxiliary provided newcomers with translators, counselling, emotional support and financial aid.
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Promotional booklet for the JGH School of Nursing
From 1951 to 1972, the JGH School of Nursing occupied Pavilion A, where students not only took their courses, but lived and studied in dormitories, and socialized with classmates and friends.
To promote the school, the JGH published a promotional booklet in 1955. As seen on one of the booklet’s pages, the JGH touted the school’s recreational aspects, including sunbathing on the roof of Pavilion A, swimming privileges at the YM-YWHA, dances, and an elegant drawing room (now transformed into one of the ground-floor offices of the JGH Foundation).
Like similar schools elsewhere in Montreal and across Quebec, the JGH School of Nursing was forced to close in 1972 when the government centralized the education and training of nurses.
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Introducing … Dr. Robot!
Robot-assisted surgery, the most exciting and revolutionary form of surgery ever performed at the JGH, got under way in December 2007.
Members of staff demonstrate the da Vinci Surgical System. During an operation, the patient lies on the surgical table (left), and robotic arms, each equipped with a tiny surgical tool, extend into the patient’s body. The operation is performed by a surgeon at a special console (right) connected to the robot.
This upgrade gave doctors the unprecedented ability to carry out delicate, minimally invasive procedures with exceptional precision. As a result, patients who undergo robot‑assisted surgery generally experience less blood loss, lower risk of complications, shorter hospital stays and quicker recuperation times.
Earlier versions of the da Vinci robot had been used in the United States and Europe for several years. However, the model that the JGH introduced was the most advanced of its kind, purchased by private donation for $4.5 million.
In the da Vinci system, the robotic arms—each bearing its own instrument—are passed through small incisions into the patient’s body. The surgeon, sitting a couple of metres away at a special console, uses hand controls and foot pedals to manipulate the robotic arms.
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Demonstration of an electronic stethoscope
In 1952, JGH medical personnel gathered in the Nurses’ Lecture Hall in Pavilion A for a demonstration of a multi-channel electronic stethoscope, a new device that significantly amplified sound and minimized background noise.
This was typical of a desire by JGH physicians to familiarize themselves on an ongoing basis with the latest forms of medical technology.
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