Local Physician Publishes Second Volume About History of NARH

NORTH ADAMS — Dr. Paul Donovan, a long-time practicing physician in North Adams, has written and published the second of a three-part series on the history of North Adams Regional Hospital, which closed in 2014.

Part 2 covers the years 1910-1956, following the history of the hospital through the construction of a new building that opened in October 1955. Among significant developments in that 45-year time frame were the leadership of Herbert W. Clark and his son, Herbert B. Clark, the growth and development of the medical staff, and construction of the ‘new’ North Adams Regional Hospital, which was formally opened on Oct. 12, 1955.

“Imagine that this small community hospital survived two world wars and the Great Depression in that period,” said Donovan. “Those events had huge impacts on the hospital’s finances, its people who were pulled away by the wars, and even supplies that had to be rationed. These were major hardships at the time.”

Despite those hardships, Donovan said, he hospital developed a medical staff that included a number of medical specialties. “Dr. Robert J. Carpenter, who was in practice for more than 30 years, was instrumental in his practice and oversight of the medical care provided when he was medical saff president. After his untimely death in 1955, he was honored with the dedication of the medical library in his name, as well as during the new hospital’s dedication.”

Also during the period covered in the book, the hospital operated a nursing school that graduated more than 300 nurses.

“I was moved to write this because, on a very personal level, I worked at the hospital for 22 years, and I felt a deep sense of loyalty to my fellow physicians and employees, the patients, and their families we treated, and the institution itself,” Donovan said upon publication of the first volume. “Working on the second part brought home to me that the community consistently rallied around the hospital, decade after decade. I’ve also been struck by the community-based leadership and philanthropy shown by those leaders. The prime example is that the new hospital was completely funded through donations of more than $1.7 million before it opened.”

Part 1 of the series covered the years 1882-1910. In 1882, a catastrophic train accident galvanized a small group of North Adams residents to initiate the concept of a hospital, which was built with private donations and opened in March 1885. Part 1 concludes with a major reorganization in 1909-10 due to financial difficulties. Part 3 is expected to be published in 2017.

“This has been a major undertaking for me in terms of time spent researching this important historical work, in light of maintaining a full-time medical practice and family obligations,” Donovan said “I would like to thank the North Adams Historical Society and the North Adams Public Library for their help in this venture.”

The book can be purchased at Main Street Emporium in North Adams, Water Street Books in Williamstown, and through the North Adams Historical Society starting in November. Copies are also available to borrow from local libraries. Comments regarding the work are welcomed. E-mail the author at emsportmed2015@gmail.com.