A History of Connecticut’s Acute Care Hospitals

Although Connecticut licensed its first physicians and surgeons in the 1650s and boasts medical societies and a medical college that are among the oldest in the country, it is only in the 20th century that its acute care hospitals became central providers of health care services. Prior to that time, hospitals were primarily charity institutions that offered boarding facilities to chronically ill paupers, veterans, and transients. Poor sanitary conditions and the constant spread of infection created a widespread popular fear of hospitals; therefore, only the poorest and most desperate entered them. Most people received medical care in their homes from physicians who were equipped with few diagnostic tools and homemade prescriptions.