Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital

Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital was granted a charter from the New York State Legislature to found a voluntary, non-profit Eye and Ear hospital on May 9, 1869.  The hospital was founded based on the purpose "to alleviate the suffering of the poor and the cultivation and diffusion of sound knowledge of all that relates to the diseases of the eye and ear."  

The founders of this institution included prominent citizens of the time and pioneers in the field of medicine and surgery, a group of 17 men: 14 laymen and 3 physicians with names including Agnew, Bliss, Brown, Dodge, Duncan, Egleston, Harriman, Lanier, Milbank, Paton, Phelps, Roosa, Roosevelt, and Strong.  With the opening of this facility, they began a new era which was an era of hope for those afflicted by impaired vision and hearing

On October 15, 1869, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital was opened in a rented brownstone at 233 East 34th Street.  The Hospital, which had 13 beds and an outpatient clinic, was supported primarily through charitable donations and no provision was made for private patients.  Patients were asked to pay what they could, if they could, and most of them were not able to pay anything.

While the Hospital on East 34th Street was a beginning, it soon became apparent that it would not be adequate to accommodate the large number of patients seeking help there.  In the first 14 months of its existence, the hospital treated 1,717 patients and 294 operations were performed in its quarters. Efforts were initiated almost immediately to raise funds for a more suitable, permanent structure.  

The first permanent facility of Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, which was located on Park Avenue and 41st Street, was completed and opened on October 3, 1881.  This 75 bed Hospital quickly became a nationally recognized center for the treatment of Eye, Ear and Throat diseases and by the late 1800’s patients were coming from across the entire nation seeking the specialized care provided by the physicians at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital.

With the number of patients increasing substantially each year, it was not long before the facilities of Manhattan Eye and Ear on Park Avenue became overburdened.  On November 1, 1906, the Hospital moved to new quarters at 210 East 64th Street.  This seven story building, which served as the Hospital’s primary inpatient facility for the next 76 years, is still in use, housing the outpatient department and administrative offices.  

Although the location had changed twice since the opening of the Hospital in 1869, the enthusiasm and dedication of its founders remained constant, motivating the physicians and the administration of the Hospital to meet the new and greater challenges presented each day.  The Annex on 63rd Street was completed in 1917, increasing the Hospitals working capacity by 30%.  

In 1925, three floors were added to the main hospital building on East 64th Street.  In the ensuing years, many renovation projects were undertaken to upgrade and improve this facility.  

However, by the late 1970’s the Hospital was inadequate to accommodate the 10,000 inpatients and the nearly 100,000 outpatients treated here annually, and plans were initiated for a new seven floor addition to the Hospital’s complex.  In addition to totally replacing the Hospital’s inpatient facilities and surgical suites, the new building allowed expansion of research programs.  

The merger of Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and Lenox Hill Hospital in 2000 created a world class institution dedicated to advancing patient care, teaching and research.  Lenox Hill Hospital, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, is a 652-bed, fully accredited, acute care hospital and a major teaching affiliate of NYU Medical Center. Founded in 1857, the Hospital has earned a national reputation for providing the highest quality care, training new physicians, contributing to progress in research, and offering innovative community outreach programs.

Through this historic alliance, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital continues to be at the forefront of cutting edge medicine and will continue to provide world class care to patients well into the future.

"On the Clinic Stairs"

Publicity for Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital

Edward Steichen, 1931