[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 27, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1376-S1377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPARROW HOSPITAL

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Sparrow 
Hospital in Lansing, MI, on its 100th anniversary. Sparrow Hospital has 
a long and activist history of serving the people of mid-Michigan.
  In 1896, a group of dedicated young women met at Lansing's Downey 
Hotel to discuss the growing need for a community hospital. Armed with 
sheer determination, the 114 charter members of the Women's Hospital 
Association opened an 11-bed hospital. The women's dream of hospital 
ownership was realized with the purchase of the James Mead House on 
North Cedar Street in 1899.
  Realizing that a larger health care facility was needed to meet the 
demands of the growing Lansing area, Edward W. Sparrow, one of 
Lansing's pioneer developers, whose wife was a member of the Women's 
Hospital Association, donated the $100,000 and land at 1215 E. Michigan 
Avenue to build a new hospital. Two years later, on November 6, 1912, 
the 44-bed Edward W. Sparrow Hospital opened its doors. At the 
dedication ceremonies, it was avowed that the purpose of the new 
hospital was ``receiving, caring for and healing the sick and injured, 
without regard to race, creed or color.''
  Sparrow Hospital has continued to live up to its avowed purpose. 
Sparrow is a not-for-profit organization, guided by volunteer boards, 
comprised of people who represent a wide spectrum of the community. 
Since 1896, Sparrow has provided care to mid-Michigan residents 
regardless of their ability to pay.
  Through the efforts of its founders and many others, Lansing's first 
health service has grown to become today's Sparrow Hospital. Sparrow 
Hospital currently has over 600 physicians, nearly 3,000 associates and 
1,400 volunteers in a comprehensive health system for an eight-county 
population of nearly 1 million people. Each year, Sparrow Hospital 
treats over 120,000 people.

[[Page S1377]]

  The spirit of volunteerism has made Sparrow Health System a very 
special organization, an organization where service to the community 
comes first. I know that my Senate colleagues join me in honoring 
Sparrow Hospital on its 100th anniversary.

                          ____________________