Alta Bates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alta Alice Miner Bates
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| Born | December 11, 1879 Lapeer, Michigan, United States
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| Died | November 30, 1955 (aged 75) Berkeley, California, United States
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | nurse |
| Known for | Alta Bates Hospital |
Alta Alice Miner Bates was a very important American nurse. She lived from 1879 to 1955. Alta Bates started a hospital that is still famous today. It is called Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. She was the first registered nurse in Humboldt County, California. Later, she became the first nurse anesthetist in the San Francisco Bay Area. A nurse anesthetist is a special nurse who helps patients sleep safely during operations. Alta Bates was the director of her hospital for many years, from 1905 to 1949.
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Who Was Alta Bates?
Alta Alice Miner Bates was born on December 11, 1879. Her birthplace was Lapeer, Michigan. Her family later moved to Northern California.
Becoming a Nurse
When she was 23, Alta Bates made history. She was the first nurse to graduate from the Eureka Training School for Nurses. This happened in 1903. She finished her training at Sequoia Hospital in Eureka, California.
Building a Hospital
In 1904, Alta Bates started caring for new mothers and their babies. She did this in her parents' home in Berkeley, California. At that time, there was no hospital nearby.
The First Sanitarium
The next year, in 1905, Alta Bates opened her own place. It was called the Bates Sanitarium. A sanitarium is like a small hospital. It had eight beds for women and children. She started it with only about $100. The sanitarium was also a school for nurses. The first group of nurses graduated in 1906.
Growing the Hospital
Doctors and community leaders were very impressed by Alta Bates. They helped her get money to make the hospital bigger. They bought two blocks of land on Webster Street. A new, three-story building opened in 1908.
In 1928, the hospital grew even more. It became a six-story building. It had 112 beds. This bigger hospital was officially named Alta Bates Hospital. In 1946, it became a non-profit hospital. It was renamed Alta Bates Community Hospital.
Alta Bates's Roles
Alta Bates did many important jobs at the hospital. She was the director of the hospital. She also ran the nursing school. On top of that, she was the chief anesthetist. She helped over 14,000 patients go to sleep safely for their operations.
Her nursing school closed in 1934. By then, it had trained more than 330 nurses.
Later Life and Legacy
Alta Bates lived with her mother, Ursula. Her brother, Louis, and her adopted children, Charles and Peggy, also lived with them.
Due to health problems, Alta Bates retired in 1949. She stopped being the hospital director. She was cared for in a nursing home in Berkeley. Many of her former students nursed her there. Alta Bates passed away in 1955. She was 75 years old. Her hospital continues to help many people today.
