Jewish Consumptive Relief Society

When JCRS opened its doors in September of 1904, it had only seven patients housed in white wooden tent cottages. Over the next fifty years, however, the JCRS served over 10,000 patients, more than half of those patients were from New York City.[1] While National Jewish Health was founded earlier to also treat tuberculosis, and both were nondenominational, JCRS was established to serve the West Colfax Jewish community with an Orthodox kitchen as opposed to the more secular National Jewish Health.

Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS)
Geography
Location1600 Pierce St., Lakewood, Colorado, United States
Coordinates39°44′37″N 105°04′12″W
Organization
Care systemPrivate, defunct
TypeSpecialist
Affiliated universityUniversity of Colorado, St Anthony's Hospital
Services
Emergency departmentN/A
Beds400 at its peak
Specialitytuberculosis, later cancer research and treatment
History
Opened1904
Links
Websitehttps://www.jcrs-co.info/
ListsHospitals in Colorado

Tuberculosis brings people to Colorado

By the late 19th century, Colorado and the American Southwest had become famous for the health benefits of a dry, sunny climate. At that time, the only known treatment for tuberculosis was clean air and sunshine and hundreds of people with tuberculosis descended upon Denver in hopes of finding a miracle cure for what was then the nation’s leading cause of death.[2] Consequently, many people with tuberculosis spent their last dollars coming to Colorado. By the 1890s, it was estimated that one out of every three residents of the state was there for respiratory reasons. However, no facilities existed to provide treatment or shelter to these victims. In Denver, victims of tuberculosis were literally dying in the streets as boarding houses often banned "lungers," as they were called.[3]

Present mission

In 1954, JCRS repurposed itself as the American Medical Center at Denver dedicated to cancer research and treatment.

Currently, the JCRS is home to the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

People

Hospital Staff and Supporters

Patients

References
  1. https://www.amazon.com/This-RMCAD-Historic-JCRS-Campus/dp/B086G8GYR9/, Thomas E. Keefe, 2020
  2. "How Tuberculosis Fueled Colorado's Growth", "Colorado Public Radio"
  3. "Delivering Aid: Implementing Progressive Era Welfare in the American West", Thomas A. Krainz, 2005
  4. https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/may-arno
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