In what year was the first US hospital dedicated to treating the sick established?

• A. 1740
• B. 1751
• C. 1776
• D. 1800

Answer: (B)

This item tests the origin of organized hospital care in the United States and when the first hospital dedicated to treating the sick was established. The best answer is 1751 because Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond, opened that year and is widely recognized as the first hospital in the United States created specifically to care for patients. It marked the move from informal care or almshouses to a purpose-built medical institution with staff and wards dedicated to healing sick people. The other years don’t fit this historical milestone: 1740 is earlier than the hospital’s founding; 1776 is tied to independence rather than hospital development; 1800 comes later and doesn’t represent the establishment of the first hospital for the sick.