What opened as the first federally operated psychiatric hospital in the United States, Psychiatric Institute of Washington or St. Elizabeths Hospital?
St. Elizabeths Hospital St. Elizabeths Hospital opened in 1855 as the first federally operated psychiatric hospital in the United States. Housing over 8,000 patients at its peak in the 1950s, the hospital at one point had a fully functioning medical-surgical unit, a school of nursing, and accredited internships and psychiatric residencies. Its campus was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990.
Mary Bridge Children's Hospital Mary Bridge Children's Hospital is a pediatric hospital located in Tacoma, Washington. It is a 82-bed facility and a state-designated level II pediatric trauma center. Mary Bridge was established in 1955 by members of Tacoma Orthopedic Association, a women's volunteer group established in 1921. Members of the Tacoma Orthopedic Association saw a need for a specialized pediatric health care center in Tacoma. Key funding came from the estate of Dr. Albert W. Bridge, a physician who practiced in Eatonville, Washington and later also opened a clinic in Tacoma. The hospital was named for his mother, Mary.