Interview with Alden Gay, September 1, 1978

Partial Transcript: This is an interview with Mr. Alden Gay for the oral history pro--Frontier Nursing Service by Linda Green at approximately 10am at his home in Oneida, Kentucky on 1 September, 1978.

Segment Synopsis: Alden Gay is introduced. He talks about the process of beginning the construction of the Frontier Nursing Service Brutus Center. He talks about the committee formed of local people who volunteered to help build the center. He talks about the medical care available before the FNS nurses came to the area, and talks about the services they provided.

Keywords: Brutus Center; Committees; Community meetings; Construction; Donations; Electricity; Home births; Home visits; Horseback; Jasper Peters; Local people; Mary Breckinridge; Midwifery; Rural roads; Volunteers

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Childbirth; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Medical care--Kentucky; Nurses; Rural conditions; Rural health services

Partial Transcript: Now you told me that you had worked with their horses.

Segment Synopsis: Gay talks about his job caring for the horses used by the Frontier Nursing Service nurses to reach their patients.

Keywords: Brutus Center; Feeding; Saddling; Stable boys

Subjects: Horses--Care; Horses--Transportation

Partial Transcript: And at that time the people were really enthused that we were having a center built in our community.

Segment Synopsis: Gay talks about the benefits the community receives by having an FNS clinic in their area, and how the community supports the center. He talks about the nurses making home visits and regularly checking on families in the area, who would then invite the nurses in for meals.

Keywords: Benefits; Community support; Costs; Devotion; Distances; Fees; Home visits; Treatment

Subjects: Clay County (Ky.); Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Medical care--Kentucky; Nurses; Rural conditions; Rural health services; Rural health--Kentucky; Rural roads

Partial Transcript: And this, this went on for, uh, several years until the lifestyle of the people began to change to some extent.

Segment Synopsis: Gay talks about how medical care and people's expectations of healthcare have changed over time. He talks about the transition from home visits to treatment in hospitals.

Keywords: Brutus Center; Changes; Clinics; Distance; Doctors; Electricity; Fears; Home births; Home visits; Hospitals; Lifestyles; Nurses; Roads; Traveling; Trends

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Health facilities.; Medical care--Kentucky; Medicine, Rural; Physicians--Kentucky; Rural conditions; Rural health services; Rural health--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Now the people in our community grew up with this medical help in our own community.

Segment Synopsis: Gay talks more about the benefits the community receives by having an FNS clinic in the area. He talks about how preventive care has increased life expectancy in the community.

Keywords: Benefits; Community; Economic status; Help; Mortality rates; Needs; Nurses; Preventive care; Transportation

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Health facilities.; Medical care--Kentucky; Medicine, Rural; Rural conditions; Rural health services; Rural health--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Now I'd go--like to go back a little bit. Um, about how old were you when you were caring for the horses in the center for s--

Segment Synopsis: Gay talks about how Mary Breckinridge garnered support from the community to build the clinic at Brutus. He talks about local leadership of a committee to support the FNS, as well as FNS nurses who attended the committee meetings to promote the construction of the Mary Breckinridge Hospital.

Keywords: Betty Lester; Committee chairman; Committee members; Committees; Community meetings; Community support; Fundraising; Helen Brown; Jasper Peters; Kate Ireland; Mary Breckinridge; Mary Breckinridge Hospital; Meetings; Social events; Social gatherings

Subjects: Breckinridge, Mary, 1881-1965; Community leadership; Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Health facilities.; Horses--Care; Medical care--Kentucky; Rural health services; Rural health--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Uh, the, uh, the biggest thing that, uh, that I have seen over a period of years now with, with, uh, our center is that the people have really supported it good.

Segment Synopsis: Gay talks about how the Frontier Nursing Service survived the Great Depression and World War II. He talks about the change from the clinic offering services at no cost to a new pay model. He talks about a committee of local people that was formed to support the FNS, and how the role of the committee has changed over time from primarily a social group to a fundraising committee. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Brutus Center; Committees; Community support; Donations; Economics; Funding; Fundraising; Great Depression; Medical cards; Payment; Policies; World War II

Subjects: Frontier Nursing Service, Inc.; Health facilities.; Medical care, Cost of; Medical care--Kentucky; Medical centers--Cost of operation; Rural health services