Cherry Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cherry Hospital |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Goldsboro, Eastern North Carolina, North Carolina, United States |
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| History | |
| Founded | 1880 |
Cherry Hospital is a special hospital in Goldsboro, North Carolina, United States. It helps people who need care for their mental health. It is one of three hospitals like this in North Carolina. Cherry Hospital serves 38 counties in the eastern part of the state. It is part of a larger group that helps adults and children with mental health needs. These hospitals offer full-time care for people who need more help than they can get at home.
Cherry Hospital has different units to help people of all ages. These include units for teens, adults, and older adults. They also have units for people who need special medical care. This means they can help people with complex health needs.
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A Look Back: Cherry Hospital's History
In 1877, leaders in North Carolina decided to build a hospital. This hospital would be for African Americans needing mental health care. They bought 171 acres of land near Goldsboro in 1878. Governor Zebulon Baird Vance thought it was a great spot. It was easy to reach and had good land for a hospital.
The first patient came to the hospital on August 1, 1880. Over the years, the hospital had different names. These included Eastern North Carolina Insane Asylum and State Hospital at Goldsboro. In 1959, it became Cherry Hospital. This was to honor Governor R. Gregg Cherry. He worked hard to improve mental health care in the state.
When it first opened, the hospital could hold 76 patients. But by Christmas 1880, over 100 patients were there. In 1881, the hospital officially became a part of the state. They also built a separate place for patients with tuberculosis. A building for patients with special needs opened in 1924.
For 85 years, Cherry Hospital served only African American patients. In 1965, the hospital followed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law ended segregation. Cherry Hospital then began helping people of all races. African American patients moved to hospitals in their own areas. White patients from the eastern region came to Cherry Hospital.
Life at Cherry Hospital in the Past
For many years, patients who were able worked on the hospital farm. By 1960, Cherry Farm was very large. It had 2,300 acres of crops. This included fruit trees, vegetables, and sugar cane. They also raised animals like hogs, chickens, turkeys, and cows. The farm provided most of the food for the hospital.
Early treatments were mostly about caring for patients. In 1884, they tried using electricity for treatment. In 1932, an occupational therapist started working there. But most therapy involved farm work, laundry, or kitchen tasks. During the 1930s and 1940s, common medicines included aspirin and sedatives. They also tried water therapy, but it was stopped. Patients were sometimes kept in small, steel rooms. These were removed from the hospital in 1956. Church services were not available until the 1950s.
By 1955, new medicines called tranquilizers became common. These medicines changed how patients were treated. More patients could go home, and they stayed in the hospital for shorter times. Even with more people leaving, many new patients came in. Between 1950 and 1965, about 3,000 patients were usually at the hospital. The most patients they ever had was about 3,500. In its first 100 years, Cherry Hospital helped 91,045 patients.
Ending Segregation at Cherry Hospital
For 85 years, Cherry Hospital was the only mental hospital for African Americans in North Carolina. It remained separate until 1965. That year, it followed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law led to the hospital becoming integrated. The state was divided into four areas. Each area had a mental hospital for adults. Cherry Hospital began serving people of all races from 33 counties in the eastern region. African American patients moved to hospitals in their own regions. White patients from the eastern region then came to Cherry Hospital.
Cemeteries on Campus
There are two cemeteries on the old Cherry Hospital campus. One is behind the Chase Laundry Building. Patients were buried there between 1905 and 1928. The other is behind the McFarland Building. The earliest known burial there was in 1927. A special monument was placed on June 3, 2004. It remembers the patients buried on the old campus.
It is believed that Cherry Hospital has the largest African American burial ground in North Carolina. One day, the names of everyone buried there might be known.
Dorothea Dix's Important Work
In the mid-1800s, North Carolina started to change how it cared for people with mental illness. Other states were building hospitals, but North Carolina was slow. This was because building hospitals cost a lot of money. North Carolina was the twelfth of the original 13 colonies to approve a state hospital.
Dorothea Dix was very important in changing this. She spoke to the North Carolina General Assembly in 1848. She asked them to create kind and formal care for people with mental illness. Her efforts, and those of Representative Kenneth Rayner, led to the first hospital being built. Only two other mental hospitals were built in North Carolina before 1900. These were Broughton Hospital and Cherry Hospital.
Today, there is a special exhibit at the new Cherry Hospital. It is called the Founders Gallery. It honors Dorothea Dix and her important work.
The "New" Cherry Hospital
In the fall of 2016, the old Cherry Hospital closed. A new, modern hospital with the same name opened. It is located about half a mile from the old one. The new hospital was designed by Perkins and Will. It is one large, three-story building. It has about 410,000 square feet of space. This includes patient rooms, therapy areas, and offices. The hospital grounds cover about 51 acres.
A special ceremony to start building happened on October 1, 2010. Governor Beverly Eves Perdue was there. Another ceremony to open the hospital was held on August 30, 2016. Governor Pat McCrory attended this event.
The old hospital had many separate buildings. The new hospital brings everything into one building. It has modern features like a lab, dental and X-ray departments. It also has indoor and outdoor courtyards. There is a "Hope and Wellness Center" for therapy. Patients can also use a gym, library with computers, and barber shops.
Patients were moved safely to the new hospital in late September 2016. All patients were settled in by September 29, 2016.
Counties Served by Cherry Hospital
Cherry Hospital helps patients from 38 counties in Eastern North Carolina. These counties include: Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Hertford, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne, and Wilson.
How Cherry Hospital Helps Patients
Cherry Hospital has many skilled doctors and staff. They provide mental health care for teens, adults, and older patients. Their treatment includes physical exams and different types of therapy. These therapies include group sessions, activities, and creative arts.
Special Treatment Units
Cherry Hospital has several special units:
- The Adolescent Unit helps teens aged 12 to 17. It offers care for mental, emotional, and behavioral needs. This unit provides medical care, therapy, and family counseling. Teens also get help with activities and life skills. They attend a school program called "Riverbend School." This helps them keep up with their education while getting care.
- The Adult and Acute Admissions Unit is for patients aged 18 to 60. It helps people who are in a crisis or have many types of mental illness. This unit is for short stays. Family and community involvement is important to help patients return home.
- The Geriatric Admissions Unit treats patients aged 60 and older. Many patients here have confusion or memory problems. Others have ongoing mental illness. Most patients can walk, but many have other health issues. The goal is to help them feel better and return to their families.
- The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit helps adults aged 18 and older. It focuses on reducing symptoms and building skills for independent living. Patients take part in work therapy and counseling. They also learn about routine health checks.
- The Psychiatric Medical Unit is for patients with mental illness who also have physical health problems. These patients need special medical care. They are moved to this unit from other parts of the hospital.
Riverbend School: Learning While Healing
Riverbend School is located inside the new Cherry Hospital. It is an approved school program for teens aged 12 to 17. Classrooms are small, with students of different ages and grades. Teachers work with students' home schools and families. This helps make sure each student's learning needs are met.
More Space, More Help
When Cherry Hospital moved to its new building in 2016, it gained more space. It now has 300 beds, over 100 more than before. This means it can help more people. The hospital has 12 patient care units. There are 228 bedrooms, with both private and shared rooms.
Awards and Partnerships
Cherry Hospital has received special recognition for its quality of care. It is approved to provide ongoing training for doctors and nurses. The hospital also works with universities to train psychologists, social workers, and teachers.
- The Joint Commission recognized Cherry Hospital in 2012.
- North Carolina Medical Society
- American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation
- College of American Pathologists
- Member, North Carolina Hospital Association
Training Future Healthcare Workers
Cherry Hospital works with 13 nursing schools. Nursing students come to the hospital for hands-on learning. They learn how to care for people with mental health needs.
- Appalachian University
- Campbell University
- Coastal Carolina Community College
- East Carolina University
- Edgecombe Community College
- James Sprunt Community College
- Johnston Community College
- Lenoir Community College
- Sampson Community College
- University of Mount Olive
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Wayne Community College
- Wilson Tech Community College
The hospital also partners with colleges and universities for internships. Students can gain experience in social work, psychology, and other health fields. Doctors in training from Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and Campbell University also learn here.
Cherry Hospital Museum
The Cherry Hospital Museum was located on the old hospital campus. It showed documents, photos, and items from the hospital's history. It told the story of the hospital that opened in 1880. This hospital was for African Americans with mental illness from all over North Carolina.
Sadly, the museum closed in January 2017 due to damage from Hurricane Matthew. All the items were moved to storage. In the future, some of these items will be shown in the Founders Gallery at the new hospital. Digital displays will also feature these historical pieces.
The Cherry Foundation, Inc.
The Cherry Foundation is a group that helps patients at Cherry Hospital. It is a separate, non-profit organization. It was started in 1997. Money given to the foundation helps directly with patient care.
