Recognizing Women in Healthcare History
March is Women’s History Month and Montage Health is honored to celebrate and appreciate the ways influential female figures have shaped the healthcare landscape. This month, we are highlighting women who have played an important role in healthcare history.
Florence Nightingale (1820–1910)
Florence Nightingale revolutionized nursing in the mid-19th-century. During her time aiding British soldiers during the Crimean war in Turkey, Nightingale improved sanitary conditions so drastically that mortality rates decreased from 40 percent to 2 percent. Her improvements were adopted by hospitals around Britain.
After the war, she opened the Nightingale School of Nursing at St. Thomas' Hospital in London in 1860 and trained midwives and nurses in workhouse infirmaries.
Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910)
As the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell opened the New York Infirmary for Women and Children with a mission to create more positions for women physicians. Despite facing years of discrimination and hardships, Blackwell was committed to creating opportunities for others by opening a medical college for women in New York City.
She was also the first American woman to publish a medical article, which was on the differences between how women and men treat patients.
Clara Barton (1821–1912)
Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1880 after her work tending to soldiers on both sides during the American Civil War. Barton also established the National First Aid Association of America which raised awareness around emergency preparedness and developed first aid kits.
During her time at the American Red Cross, she aided with countless disasters, helped the homeless and poor, and assisted many Americans in becoming more prepared for unforeseen hardships.
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831–1895)
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. She earned her degree during the American Civil War, graduating from New England Female Medical College in 1864.
Dr. Crumpler had a fierce passion for helping others, which she learned from her aunt. In her book titled “A Book of Medical Discourses,” she said, “Having been reared by a kind aunt in Pennsylvania, whose usefulness with the sick was continually sought, I early conceived a liking for, and sought every opportunity to relieve the sufferings of others.”
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris (1975–Present)
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, the first Surgeon General for the state of California, is well-known for her relentless initiative to reduce Adverse Childhood Experiences and toxic stress among young people. She is also the founder and former chief executive officer of the Center for Youth Wellness, a champion for healthcare equity, and she played a key role in California’s efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, especially among Black and other marginalized communities.
"Obstacles are everywhere. Success is about finding ways every day to go over, under, around or through."
–Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, the first Surgeon General for the state of California
