Alta Alice Miner Bates (December 11, 1879 – November 30, 1955) was an American

nurse anesthetist A nurse anesthetist is an advanced practice nurse who administers anesthesia for surgery or other medical procedures. They are involved in the administration of anesthesia in a majority of countries, with varying levels of autonomy. A survey ...

and the founder of the hospital now known as

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its three hospital campuses are located in Berkeley (Alta Bates Campus, Herrick Campus) and Oakland (Summit Campus). Alta Bates Summit is a ...

. She was the first registered nurse in Humboldt County, California, and later the first nurse anesthetist in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

. Bates managed Alta Bates Hospital, serving as hospital director from 1905 to 1949.

Early life and education

Bates was born in 1879 in

Lapeer, Michigan Lapeer ( ') is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions w ...

. She and her family later moved to Northern California. At age 23, Bates was the first nurse to graduate from the Eureka Training School for Nurses. She completed her training in 1903 at Sequoia Hospital, also in

Eureka, California Eureka (Wiyot: ''Jaroujiji'', Hupa: ''do'-wi-lotl-ding'', Karuk: ''uuth'') is the principal city and county seat of Humboldt County in the Redwood Empire region of California. The city is located on U.S. Route 101 on the shores of Humboldt Ba ...

Career

In 1904, Bates cared for women and their newborn babies in her parents' home on Walnut Street in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...

. At the time, there was no local hospital. The following year, Bates founded an eight-bed sanitarium for women and children at 2314 Dwight Way. Established with about $100, the Bates Sanitarium also served as a nursing school. Its first class of nursing students graduated in 1906. Impressed by her work and vision, local physicians and community leaders helped Bates expand the building, securing funding to purchase two blocks on Webster Street. The new three-story institution opened in 1908. In 1928, the building was expanded into a six-story building at Regent and Webster streets. The 112-bed hospital was dedicated and renamed Alta Bates Hospital. In 1946, the hospital was renamed Alta Bates Community Hospital and established as a non-profit with a board of directors. In addition to serving as director of the hospital and nursing school, Bates served as chief anesthetist of the hospital. Bates was a prominent early anesthetist in California, administering over 14,000 anesthetics. After training over 330 nurses, Bates's nursing school closed in 1934. Due to health problems, Bates retired from her role as the director of the hospital in 1949.

Personal life

Bates lived with her mother, Ursula; her brother, Louis; and her adopted children, Charles and Peggy.

Death

After her retirement, Bates was cared for in a nursing home on Webster Street in Berkeley, where she was nursed by former students. She died in 1955 at age 75.

References

External links

Profile: Alta Alice Miner Bates
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bates, Alta 1879 births 1955 deaths American nurses American women nurses American anesthesiologists History of Berkeley, California History of women in California People from Lapeer, Michigan People from Berkeley, California Women anesthesiologists