The evolution of social work in a community hospital

Since 1905 social work has had the privilege of working with great medical leaders who have respected and assisted our profession. As predicted in 1984 by Abraham Lurie, The social work department of the future will be more decentralized ... develop stronger links administratively ... knowledge of changing social problems ... legislation, research, computerization, data gathering and retrieval. The Columbus Regional Hospital Social Work department is still early in its development, yet the above predictors have occurred which strengthened social work role and professional practice. By 1992 the following areas served as a strong foundation for the department's continued growth: Resource acquisition Hospital Integration Physician Support We must continue to advocate for improved care along with providing an environment of compassion for the patients and their families who seek services. Through continued participation on hospital committees such as ethics, and utilization review, we can demonstrate our practice and influence the environment. By creatively accessing resources we can influence and shape opportunities for colleagues. As a social work manager I thank those who have come before me who laid framework, fought battles and defined territory. We need to continue to support one another through collaborative processes and shared experiential learnings.