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Edgar Allan Poe, Church Hospital, Johns Hopkins and Me

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA, CMP™

[Publisher-in-Chief]

Dateline: Baltimore Maryland, August 7, 2009

To the entire world, Church Home and Hospital, formerly known as the Washington Medical College, was where Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849. Located in Upper Fell’s Point, it was also where many doctors were trained who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. But for me, its emergency room seemed like home, as a local inner city youth, back-in-the-day.

Link: http://www.eapoe.org/balt/poechh.htm

About Fells Point

Fell’s Point is an historic waterfront community just east of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The Fells Point Historic District occupies the area from Gough Street south to the water’s edge, roughly between Caroline and Chester Streets. Established in 1763, Fells Point is a city, state and National Historic District and boasts over 161 buildings on the National Register, along with the oldest standing residence in Baltimore City, the Robert Long House at 812 S. Ann Street. The neighborhood is home to dozens of unique retail shops, restaurants and pubs; along with our community Church Home and Hospital; and its more famous behemoth neighbor up the street, Johns Hopkins University Hospital and Medical School.

Link: http://www.fellspoint.us/

It was as a freshman medical student, visiting “the Johns”, where I first met J. Alex Haller Jr. MD – the world famous Children’s-Surgeon-in-Charge of Johns Hopkins Hospital, and pectus excavatum surgical pioneer, from 1964 until 1997. As well as pediatric heart surgeon Helen Brooke Taussig MD (1898 – 1986), developer of a famous operation to alleviate “blue baby” syndrome, and who first warned the public on the dangers of thalidomide. JHU is also where I played stick-ball as a kid, in the hospital parking lot. But, I digress.

Link: http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/educ/exhibits/womenshall/html/taussig.html

Church Home and Hospital and Me

My first visit to the Church Home Hospital ER was to repair a forehead laceration which was sustained after a fall onto one of Baltimore’s famous brick steps.

The second was to re-attach my right hallux [big toe] after almost completely severing it on a piece of glass [broken beer bottle].

My final visit was to repair a thigh laceration. Of course, my younger brother made two subsequent visits, over the years, as well. On all occasions we were sutured and repaired by Raymond Atkins MD; following his career as a junior and senior attending resident, fellow and well into private practice. In a time before eMRs; Dr. Ray would later tell us that just hearing the name “Marcinko” was enough medical history for him to commence his trip to the ER. God bless you Dr. Atkins and Church Home and Hospital.

Assessment

As a student of the city, I knew of Church Home Hospital and Edgar Allan Poe before ever learning of Haller, Taussig or Atkins. But, they all made impressions on me, in one way or another. I just had to revisit the sites and  them, if only in memory

About Off Road with Dr. Marcinko

These sporadic off-road segments will continue through-out my 2009 summer promotional tour. On the one hand, formal attendance at several engagements was a bit sparse because of the death of several recent celebrities and entertainer types.

On the other hand, local book stores and sponsors noted a spike in our  book sales, as well as interest in our online www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org program.

Part VI: https://healthcarefinancials.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/off-road-touring-with-dr-marcinko-part-vi/

Conclusion

And so, your thoughts and comments on this Medical Executive-Post are appreciated. Tell us what you think about this trip down memory lane? Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, be sure to subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/HealthcareFinancialsthePostForcxos

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

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Filed under: Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: "blue baby" syndrome, Church Home Hospital, Edgar Allan Poe, Fell's Point, hallux, Helen Brooke Taussig MD, J. Alex Haller Jr, Johns Hopkins, pectus excavatum, Robert Long House, thalidomide. | 6 Comments »