National Hospital Day – May 12, 2024

History of National Hospital Day

National Hospital Day was observed for the first time in 1921 to commemorate the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. She set standards for nursing during the Crimean War of 1854. The idea behind the holiday was conceived by Matthew O. Foley, a managing editor of the Chicago-based magazine “Hospital Management.” Foley’s motive was to renew public confidence in hospitals in the wake of the deadly Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, which claimed about 50 million lives worldwide. Former U.S. President Warren G. Harding officially declared the holiday in 1921.

In honor of Nightingale, hospitals across the United States and Canada were to open their doors to visitors to educate them about medical examination and treatment, while using the opportunity to share healthcare literature and information about nursing schools. In 1941, posters were put up on 12 Casper store windows, containing the slogan “Hospitals — Guardians of Health.” In 1953, National Hospital Day expanded to become National Hospital Week to provide hospitals with more time to educate and inform the public about healthcare. Currently, the holiday is sponsored by the American Hospital Association.

Britannica defines a hospital as “an institution that is built, staffed, and equipped for the diagnosis of disease; for the treatment, both medical and surgical, of the sick and the injured; and for their housing during this process. The modern hospital also often served as a center for investigation and for teaching.”