July 2, 1999

Walking down the corridor of WACC 6, visitors, patients and employees now can take a step back in time with a new photo exhibit chronicling the history of outpatient services at the MGH.

The exhibit was officially unveiled at a reception June 25 hosted by John Goodson, MD, and John Stoeckle, MD, of Internal Medical Associates, and Albert Mulley, MD, MPP, chief of the General Medicine Division.

"The panels of this exhibit can be looked at like windows of a cathedral," said Goodson. "Depending on whether visitors have just a few minutes or more than an hour to spend here, the exhibit has layers of information for everyone to enjoy."

A year in the making, the exhibit gives an overview of the progress of the hospital’s outpatient services over the last 100 years. Each panel depicts various themes of outpatient care — such as education, research, technological innovations, community-based care and outpatient care providers — with old and new photographs, written descriptions, timelines, maps, journal articles and other memorabilia.

Giving a brief history during the reception, Stoeckle noted that during most of the 19th century, hospitals only had inpatients. It wasn’t until the 1870s that outpatient care was formally acknowledged when doctors found that "walking" patients who didn’t need to be admitted could benefit from outpatient services. "We’ve come a long way in patient care, learning and research since the 1800s," said Stoeckle. "This exhibit is meant to be a reminder of the past and an inspiration for the future."

Goodson credits the collaborative efforts of staff from the General Medicine Divison, Nursing and Social Services for creating the exhibit and welcomes any MGHer to visit WACC 6 to see their accomplishment. "It would be wonderful for other services in the hospital to be inspired by this display and start to record their own chronologies that have contributed to the rich history of the MGH," he said.

From left, Mulley, Stoeckle and Goodson