Herman Kiefer Hospital
| Herman Kiefer Hospital | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1905 |
| Construction Began | 1905 |
| Construction Ended | 1911 |
| Current Status | preserved historic site |
| Alternate Names | Herman Kiefer Hospital Historic District |
History The Herman Keifer Hospital was a clinic designed to serve patients with "consumption" in the greater Detroit area. Named for the father of Dr. Guy Lincoln Kiefer, one of the staunchest advocates for increased medical care for people with what would later become known as Polio, Tuberculosis, Typhoid, and other illnesses, the Herman Kiefer Hospital was finally completed in 1911. The Senior Dr Keifer was a member of many medical boards, educational societies, a member of the underground railroad, and instrumental in the education of his son, who would go on to found this hospital in his name. Dr. Guy L. Kiefer began petitioning for the hospital in 1905, with work started, but quickly expanding need and legal objections from the community surrounding the suggested cite lead to the relocation of where the hospital would be created.
In 1908 the first Tuberculosis patient was admitted to the facility, with most of the prior cases seen at the facility being Polio patients or people suffering from other communicable diseases. The early patients seen were to be held for 2 months to teach them to "prevent rather than cure" tuberculosis's spread in the community.
Due to his efforts attempts were made to name the hospital after Guy Keifer, but he petitioned to have the hospital named after his father and instead received the first degree of "Doctor of Public Health" from the University of Michigan.
(more to be added later
For more information please see the sites application for historic status here [1]
