MMC-125 : Professional Schools at Mercy

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

Can you name the 4 Professional Schools associated with MMC through the years?

Scroll down for the answers …

Mercy School of Nursing  1906 - 1982

Anesthesia – begun 1956 – ended?

Medical Technology – begun 1958 – ended?

X-Ray Tech / Rad Tech  - begun 1945 – Continues under Marian University as of 2014.

       The school left Mercy in June of 2023 and moved to Fond du Lac. * [Updated July 2023]

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : Technology Firsts at Mercy

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

Highlights of Mercy’s Technology Firsts

1922 – The first Mercy School of Nursing class to give insulin and IVs

1940s – Antibiotics

1950s – Iron Lung to treat Polio

1962 – Dept of Nuclear Medicine – “most complete facility north of Milwaukee”

1977 – 1^st to do CT Scans in the area

1983 – 1^st Cornea Transplant in Fox Valley

                Arthroscopic surgery

                Neodymium YAG surgical laser for eye microsurgery

1984 – Satellite Dish links MMC to the Hospital satellite Network (only 1 other in the state)

2003 – Linear Accelerator and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) (Replaced by TruBeam in 2014)

2008 – Digital Mammography

2012 - Da Vinci Robotic Surgery  (Theda Clark got a different model in 2008)

2013 – Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Machine

2013 – Telemedicine ICU

2014 – TruBeam Linear Accelerator

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : The Story Behind the Photo

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

The Story Behind the Photo …

The story behind the photo from The Patient Care Panel of The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display

The little boy with the broken arm is Mr. Allan Lichtwald, currently of Red Granite, WI.  The year was about 1950.  He was a 10-year-old pediatric patient with a broken arm.  The fracture was so close to his elbow that the bone wouldn’t knit together correctly and had to be re-broken 18 times.  A specialist was called in from Milwaukee who recommended amputating the boy’s arm because it would never heal properly.  The boy’s parents said, “No” and signed him up for accordion lessons as therapy.  That did the trick!  Mr. Lichtwald to this day still has his arm intact and in working order.

He is pictured with his favorite nurse, Nancy, who used to sneak him cups of peanut butter because he didn’t like the food served on his tray.

2 November 2001

as told by Mr. Lichtwald to Michele Matucheski, MMC Librarian

Post Script :  Mr. Allan Lichtwald died peacefully Sept. 6, 2011, in Marian, WI.  
He was born Oct. 9, 1940.    

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : Mercy Volunteers

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

Mercy Volunteers

In 1941, The Red Cross Volunteers organized themselves at Mercy.  Also known as The Gray Ladies, they were the volunteer work force for Mercy.  Through the years, Mercy Volunteers have contributed more than a billion hours of service at Mercy.

Auxiliary – Volunteers begin in 1950s started by Sr Oswaldina to build a partnership with community members. 

Sr. Oswaldina Nutz, administrator of Mercy Hospital from 1957 to 1961, is credited with founding the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary in 1958.  Her purpose, at least in part, was to increase community involvement in the hospital.  “The greater concern the public shows for its hospital, the stronger the spirit of the hospital will be, the better the care the patients will receive, and the greater the feeling of security you will enjoy,” Sister Oswaldina said.  She kicked off a membership recruitment drive with a tea and tours to introduce community members to the hospital.  The Auxiliary project was a success, and in little more than a year, there were 163 members.  Today, the total of funds raised by the [Mercy Medical Center Volunteers (MMCV) organization] is well over a million dollars.    – From The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display.

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

                                

  

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : Polio Epidemic Hits Oshkosh in 1955

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

1955 Polio Epidemic hits Oshkosh

“In 1955, Wisconsinites saw the worst polio epidemic in state history.  Although the Salk vaccine would become effective in April, Wisconsin reported 921 cases and 134 deaths due to polio by August.  The Fox Valley had more polio cases per population than anywhere else in the country.  Residents quarantined their children, canceled public events and gave money to The March of Dimes …

March of Dimes assistance included transportation, braces, shoes,  and physical therapy.  The organization also donated equipment to hospitals and hired staff.  To cope with the Oshkosh epidemic, the March of Dimes provided three general duty nurses to the polio ward at Mercy Hospital.  During the 1955 epidemic, Mercy was equipped with iron lungs for its patients.”  (p.139-40)

– Ron La Point in Oshkosh : The Way We Were : Remembering People and Places , c2009

Learn more about the Polio Epidemic :

A Paralyzing Fear [dvd] : The Story of Polio in America 

DVD HIC WC 555 P221 2005     Available at the MMC Library

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : 1946 Tonsillectomy Charges

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

The Cost of a Tonsillectomy in 1946 at Mercy Medical Center

In 1946, the hospital bill at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh was $10.35 for a tonsillectomy.

The doctor's bill for the same procedure was $35, including anesthesia. 

How times have changed! This seems like pocket change to us now ...

These documents were donated to the MMC Library Archives and amended to protect patient confidentiality.

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

                                

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : The Mercy School of Nursing

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

Mercy School of Nursing

1931   Construction commences on the five-story Nursing School and dormitory.

In 1887, the Lakeside Training School for Nurses was founded by Dr M.E. Corbett.  This was also taken over by the Sisters and became Mercy Hospital School of Nursing.

St. Mary’s Hospital officially opened its professional school of nursing in the summer of 1914.  But it would not be until 1931 that the nurses would have a separate residence and educational unit, which they would be able to call home.

The Mercy School of Nursing was closed in 1982 after graduating more than 1,730 nurses through the years. 

Diploma and practical nursing programs were phased out in the 1980s.  Only two Registered Nursing (R.N.) programs would remain : the 2-year associate degree and the 4-year bachelor of science degree.

MSN Alumni continue to celebrate their history at an annual dinner in June.

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : The 1918 Flu Epidemic Hits Oshkosh

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

 1918 Flu Epidemic hits Oshkosh

Shortly after the Sisters took over Mercy Lakeside, the 1918 flu epidemic spread so rapidly that Mercy and St Marys were unable to accommodate patients.  The city opened a saloon as a temporary hospital and put the Sisters in charge. 

Sr. Mehrinda Gehring, in charge of nursing students, recorded briefly the history of the epidemic :

“The city police and ambulance took beds and everything wlse needed to this ‘hospital.’  We Sisters went back and forth by ambulance and patrol wagon, the same vihicles used to convey the sick and the dead of which there were many.  Already on the first day this emergency hospital opened, the house was filled and every patient was fearfully sick.  When the police and ambulance men had Sisters in their wagons they would blow their sirens extra loud, making everyone get out of the way.’                       

– Sr. Mary Josue in History of St. Mary’s Home for the Aged and Mercy Hospital 1891 -1976.

Read more about the 1918 Flu Epidemic in Winnebago County,Wisconsin.

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

                History of St. Mary's Home for the Aged and Mercy Hospital 1891-1976 (pdf)   by Sr. Mary Josue, written in 1976.

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : Mercy Lakeside Expands in 1922

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

Mercy Lakeside Expands

Mercy Hospital (Lakeside) August 1922

5 years after the Sisters take over Mercy Hospital, ground is broken for an expansion project.  Expansion of the facility includes a north wing, chapel, convent, new powerhouse, and laundry.  The extensive construction is completed two years later.   Increased capacity to 150 beds.

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

                               

          History of St. Mary's Home for the Aged and Mercy Hospital 1891-1976 (pdf)   by Sr. Mary Josue, written in 1976.

               St. Mary's Hospital, Oshkosh, WI - Chapter XII from The Red Book (pdf)  45 pages

               Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh, WI - Chapter XIII from The Red Book (pdf) 28 pages

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : Mercy Hospital Begins as Lakeside

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

Mercy Hospital begins as Lakeside

1917  The Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother take over Lakeside Sanitarium, the Physician’s Hospital built in 1912 across from Menomonee Park, and lead by Dr. M.E. Corbett.   

After only 5 years, Lakeside was having financial difficulties and Dr. Corbett knew that if the Sisters ran it, it would be efficient, and continue to operate well into the future.  The Sisters reluctantly purchased it for about $40,000, half of what it cost to build it.  Soon after, the Sisters renamed it Mercy Hospital. 

At that time, The Sisters were also running St. Mary’s Hospital, about 4 blocks away on Merritt St. in Oshkosh. 

This Lakeside Hospital booklet dates back to 1911-17, showing many images from the state-of-the-art facility.   The booklet has about 20 pages.    The original resides in the Lakeside Hospital file of the Mercy Medical Center Library Archives.  

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

      Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

      The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

       History of St. Mary's Home for the Aged and Mercy Hospital 1891-1976 (pdf)   by Sr. Mary Josue, written in 1976.

        St. Mary's Hospital, Oshkosh, WI - Chapter XII from The Red Book (pdf)  45 pages

        Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh, WI - Chapter XIII from The Red Book (pdf) 28 pages

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center. 

MMC-125 : Early Improvements in Surgical Sanitation goes all the way to Rome

Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh is celebrating 125 Years

Between now and the final celebration in September, we will share some stories and facts to show how far we have come in furthering the vision of the initial Sisters.

Early Improvements in Surgical Sanitation goes all the way to Rome

   

       

In the 1890s, urged by Dr. Oviatt (the star surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital in Oshkosh), The Sisters get special permission from The Vatican in Rome to wear a modified habit in the operating room, as the Sisters’ standard wool habits and veils posed a sanitation issue for surgical cleanliness.

“Armed with a letter from Dr Oviatt, Sr. Cornelia gained the blessing of Pope Leo XIII for the change in habit and the admonition to follow Dr Oviatt’s suggestions as they were made.    Pope Leo blessed a gold medal and sent it to Dr Oviatt, a declared agnostic, to seal the approval.  The doctor wore the medal on his watch chain for the remainder of his life.”   

            – Sr. Mary Josue in History of St. Mary’s Home for the Aged and Mercy Hospital 1891 -1976.

Read more about  History of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI :

                Library Archives LibGuide – Mercy Medical Center

                The Hallmarks of Mercy Historical Display (Digital)

                History of St. Mary's Home for the Aged and Mercy Hospital 1891-1976 (pdf)   by Sr. Mary Josue, written in 1976.

               St. Mary's Hospital, Oshkosh, WI - Chapter XII from The Red Book (pdf)  45 pages

               Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh, WI - Chapter XIII from The Red Book (pdf) 28 pages

These short articles appeared in Jeremy Normington-Slay's Friday News & Notes emails sent out to all Mercy employees in 2016.  The historical and Archival Material was provided by Michele Matucheski, Librarian and Archivist at Mercy Medical Center.