RESOLUTION NO. 050533
Honoring
General Hospital #2 and the men and women of vision and courage who pushed its
conception forward.
WHEREAS, General Hospital #2 started with an act of God, pushed forward by Dr. Thomas Unthank and
Dr. J. Edward Perry who were men of vision and courage; and
WHEREAS, Kansas City Municipal Hospital was 35 years old when it was turned over to Dr. Unthank
and Dr. Perry and was operated by the African American community and staffed by
that same community; and
WHEREAS, General Hospital #2 opened its doors in February 1930 after a fire destroyed most of the Old City Municipal Hospital; and
WHEREAS, this
hospital became the only city hospital in the country at the time to function
with African American administrators and staff; and
WHEREAS, in 1931, its
first interns began the long road toward developing a prestigious training
center for minority physicians and later was accredited by the AMA as a
subspecialty training center for Obstetrics-Gynecology, General Surgery and
Radiology; and
WHEREAS, the names of
some of the men who came to Kansas City to train at General Hospital #2 and
stayed to support and help build this community are: E. Frank Ellis, M.D.,
M.P.H., General Hospital #2 Superintendent 1948-1954; Walter F. Haith, M.D.,
F.A.C.O.G., who served as an instructor at the consolidated facility; James
Johnson, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., who served as an instructor at the consolidated
facility; Carl M. Peterson, M.D., F.A.C.S., who served as the last Chief of Staff
at General Hospital #2 and the first Chief of Staff at the consolidated General
Hospital, along with that first, he was elected by his peers to lead the
Jackson County Medical Society, now the Metropolitan Medical Society; and
Walter R. Peterson, M.D., F.A.C.S., who served as a key member in the
development of The Doctors Clinic, the first minority multi-specialty physician
group in the country; John Ramos, M.D., board certified in radiology
(deceased); and Starks Williams, M.D., F.A.A.P. who was appointed medical
consultant to the Missouri Sickle Cell Anemia program; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE
COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
That the Mayor and Council hereby honor General Hospital #2 and the men of vision and courage who pushed its conception forward;
and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the
Council in testimony thereof and that copies hereof be presented to the above
listed men with the appreciation of the Mayor, Council and citizens of Kansas City for their years of dedication and hard work in this community.
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