This collection contains the private practice records of Dr. Arpad G. C. Gerster. They span almost his entire career as a surgeon in New York City, from 1881-1923. These records are contained in three bound volumes and five boxes. The patient cards were received in three wooden boxes.
The volumes, which were personalized for Dr. Gerster, contain chronological patient records from January 1, 1881 to July 24, 1906. Each patient record has pre-printed slots for the following information: date, age, name and dwelling, business and nativity, diagnosis, treatment, and remarks. Dr. Gerster completed these categories. However, he often had little or nothing to say under 'remarks' and sometimes did not include 'age.' 'Business' was included less often in later years. Presumably, comments under 'treatment' were not completed when not necessary.
The first volume is entirely in German (except for Latin diagnoses). Some of the early entries in the second volume are in English, and by 1892 they are primarily in English. In the front of each volume is an alphabetical index to patients' case records. The last entry in the third volume is on July 24, 1906.
There is a three year gap between the bound volumes of patient records and the first case in the file boxes, which commences on July 26, 1909. Here, cases numbered from 1 - 442 were recorded on pre-printed cards. Some additional questions are included on these cards. These include: civil state, family history, personal history, previous diseases, date of operation, operator, assistant, anesthetist, anaesthetic, amount and examination of urine (chart to be filled in). On the reverse side are pre-printed anatomical drawings for further notations. These forms were clearly meant for use with patients expecting a surgical procedure. However, these cards were often not completed as many patients did not require surgery. Beginning with case number 444 (January 1911) Dr. Gerster ran out of the pre-printed forms and used plain paper to record his patient information. These records reflect the same information as that on the preprinted cards, however they are more difficult to read.
The patient records reflect a private practice of the time. Although Dr. Gerster functioned as a general physician, his practice revealed a bias towards surgically treatable patients. At this time, it would have been difficult to have an exclusively surgical practice because there would not have been enough business to support it. However, because of Dr. Gerster's abilities and prominence, he came as close as possible to having such a practice. Over the span of the records, the types of cases did not show any significant shift in character. The cases have a great deal of variety. Included among the many diagnoses were rheumatoid arthritis, alcoholic hepatitis, acute nephritis, chronic gastritis, double cleft palate, eczema, inguinal hernia, syphilis, vulva cutis, pulmonary tuberculosis, arteriosclerosis, uterine hemorrhage, and many others.
There are a variety of inserts and attachments found throughout the patient records. These include sketches by Dr. Gerster illustrating ailments and abnormalities of patients; correspondence from physicians introducing patients (a number of these are from out of state and many are not in English); pathology lab reports from both the German Hospital and Mount Sinai regarding excised tissue; correspondence from patients; and two radiographic images. (These images are located in: Case Book Number 3, April 17, 1901, and Card File Box 1, in front of Case 104.)
Private patient records such as these are probably uncommon in hospital archives since they do not directly relate to hospital practice. These records are especially interesting because they occur during a period when surgery became safer and more common and when the rise and dominance of surgery as a method of treatment was seen. Additionally, they are of interest because they are the records of Dr. Gerster, an influential and prominent surgeon during his time.
Dr. Gerster's notes end with case number 3670 on February 23, 1923. The patient records continue to October 27, 1923. An unidentified physician apparently took over Gerster's practice shortly before his (Gerster's) death on March 11, 1923.

This collection consists of correspondence to and from Seymour J. Phillips relating to his service as a member of the Beth Israel Medical Center Board of Trustees. It begins in the late 1930s with correspondence documenting the initial recruitment of Phillips to the Board of Trustees and concludes in 1987 with correspondence between Beth Israel staff and the Phillips family regarding his passing.

While all decades from this time period are represented to some extent, there is a noticeable increase in the volume and frequency of correspondence beginning in the late 1950s, with the bulk of the collection dating from the 1960s. This likely reflects Mr. Phillips’ increased attention to Board activity following his retirement from private business.

The correspondence in this collection deals primarily with Mr. Phillips’ activities as a Trustee and his role in the financing and administration of the Beth Israel Medical Center. Correspondents include fellow Trustees, including Board President Charles H. Silver, and various Beth Israel administrators, notably Cecil Sheps, MD, who served as General Director of the Medical Center from 1965 to 1968. Beginning in 1980, the correspondence also includes regular updates on library activities from the director of Mr. Phillips’ namesake medical library.

This collection includes the records of the Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE) under the direction of Lloyd Sherman, Ed. D. CEYE records following Dr. Sherman's death in 2012 are part of the separate Center for Multicultural and Community Affairs series. The collection is arranged in three series: Alphabetical files, Curriculum files, and Grants files. It includes Secondary Education Through Health (SETH) and SHOP program material; summer research programs for high school and college students; Young Scientists Day (1989) program and flyer with Keith Haring artwork; grant and curriculum files.

This series includes files regarding the successful application for Mount Sinai's first Magnet Award process, nursing awards, primary nursing, the Interdisciplinary Clinical Pathways Program, NYSNA contracts, Fatman Fund recipients, the disbursement of Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing funds.

This series includes the records of the Office of Public Relations up to 1966 when Beryl Reubens was hired. There are records from when the following people were in charge of the function: Roman Slobodin (1942-44), Edith Behrens (1944), Leon Jacobson (19?-1962), Shel Sukoff (1962-?) and Jan Tyroler (1964-65).

There are many interesting aspects to this collection, including how it demonstrates the role of the Trustees in the life of the Hospital as well as how the functions of publicity and fund raising were handled. Initially combined, these two duties were separated in 1967 when the first full-time Director of Development was hired. Other strengths are the light the papers shed on the Hospital during World War II, and how the Hospital described itself through its publications and press activities. There are interesting glimpses of important Mount Sinai scientists as the Public Relations Office interviewed and researched them for their press efforts.

This is a recording of the oral history of Slyvia Barker, MA, RN, CNNA conducted by Richard Steele, in a series of five visits, spanning from November 8th, 1995 to December 19th, 1995.

Tape 1 discusses Ms. Barker’s background and the beginning of her 60-year career at Mount Sinai, including her hometown, her first days at the School of Nursing, and what her friends would do for fun in their free hours. She shared anecdotes about doctors, as well as the two Heads of Nursing Miss Greener and Miss Warman. She goes on to describe how she became Head Nurse of Ward U and an instructor at the School of Nursing, and also discusses her two-year stint at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.

In Tape 2, she comments on the significance of nursing residences in creating a community for nurses. She talks about her close friend Blanche Gubersky; the demographics of the community Mount Sinai served in the 1940s; the courses and programs of the time; Mrs. Cynthia Kinsella and the closure of the Nursing School. She goes on to discuss risk management, personnel management, her relationship with Gail Weissman, and the unionization of Mount Sinai Hospital through Local 1199 and the State Nurses Association.

In Tape 3, Ms. Barker outlines the milestones in Gail Weissman’s tenure and the Alumni Association including its bookkeeper, “The Oaks” (the nurses’ residence in New Rochelle, New York) and their relationship to the Archives at Mount Sinai.

In Tape 4, she discusses the changes she has observed in nursing practices at Mount Sinai including: length of stay; technologies in nurseries; stethoscopes; intra-muscular injections; administration of oxygen; nurse practitioners; diagnostic procedures; procedure books and manuals; teaching techniques in nursing education; and resurgences of historical remedies.

In tape 5, she talks about Drs. A. A. Berg, Bela Shick, and Richard Lewisohn; group nursing; semi-private and private care; Jack Martin Poliorespirator Center and Dr. Horace Hodes; changes in the workday and work schedules; and finally, changes in staff demographics, including men in nursing and the first Black nurses at Mount Sinai.