The Floating Hospital

New York City's Floating Hospital has its origins in a ferryboat ride for newsboys organized by The New York Times in 1866. The newspaper appealed to the public to provide funds for excursions each summer to help the young ragamuffins escape the sweltering streets for a few hours. Management of the program was turned over to a charity, St. John's Guild, in 1873, and the group soon began to put doctors on the ferryboats to provide health services for the newsboys and other city children. The organization provided ship-based until 2001, when it could no longer afford dock space. Today The Floating Hospital provides health care services to indigent New Yorkers via a network of clinics located throughout the city.