Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center is a rehabilitation hospital located in Downey, California, United States. Its name in Spanish means 'Friends' Ranch'.
History
Overview
Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, or Rancho, dates back to 1888 when indigent patients from the Los Angeles County Hospital were relocated to what was then known as the Los Angeles County Poor Farm. Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy were started in the late 1920s. The Rancho rapidly expanded after it was designated as a respiratory center for polio patients in 1951. In 1955, Dr. Vernon L. Nickel developed the halo vest, a device which is still in use to immobilize the cervical spine following severe neck injury or certain types of surgery. Drs. Jacquelin Perry and Robert Waters contributed to advances in pathokinesiology and treatment of spinal cord injuries, and other advances in rehabilitation of orthopedic and neurologic disorders were made in ensuing years. The Rancho Los Amigos Scale, a widely used scale to determine the cognitive level in brain-injured patients, was developed in the 1970s.
The Center was featured in Visiting... with Huell Howser Episode 419.
1887-1907
In 1887, Rancho Los Amigos was established under the original name "The County Poor Farm" originally purposed to provide work, housing, and medical care to the poor. The buildings constructed during this time on the 124.4 acre property were designed by local architect Jacob Friedlander and the architectural firm Kysor, Morgan, and Walls, known for their work on buildings in Los Angeles such as the Pico House and USC's Widney Hall. During this period the oldest building still standing on the south campus, the aviary, was constructed as well as the male and female wards and the refectory. When the facility opened in December 1888 Edwin L. Burdick was appointed as the first superintendent and resident physician. However; In 1901 Burdick resigned due to health issues and his role was divided to T.F. Simpson, who became superintendent, and Dr. F.L. Norton, who became the resident physician. Despite initially positive comments in 1902 by the General Federation of Women's clubs, praising the farm's mix of "charity and industry.." , by 1903 concerns over the farm's overcrowding and lack of sanitation reached newspapers. Problems that would persist until remodeling in 1906 under superintendent George S. Clark, who replaced Simpson in 1903.
1907-1915
In 1907, Clark was replaced as superintendent by Donald Chick, who despite only being superintendent for 9 months established many of the poor farms important facilities such as the first chapel and psychiatric ward, the first building explicitly build for medical purposes. Despite the original wards being gendered, the psychiatric ward housed both men and women. Chick was replaced by Andrew Wade who brought significant growth to the farm and also became the facilities first postmaster. Under Wade the facility grew to 333 acres and received employee housing and its first power house, built in 1909. By 1910 the facility had begun shifting to its role as a medical facility due to a large influx in residents with chronic medical disorders. A year later Charles C. Manning replaced Wade and increased the farm's population by 280% to 479 residents. Manning constructed multiple new wards to accommodate the increased population and was briefly replaced in 1915 by Carl P. Talle.