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The For A Hospital Campus At Cresson ( Sci Cresson )

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As one turns off Old Route 22 in Cambria County at the site of the former State Correctional Institution at Cresson (SCI Cresson), it readily becomes apparent that the facility is closed. It hasn’t been an ongoing enterprise since it ceased operations in 2013.
There are few indications that this facility was once a vital component in Pennsylvania’s anti-tuberculosis campaign.
Upon further study, several buildings appear out of place. Their architecture is more akin to that found on a hospital campus.
This peaceful setting masks the legacy of the untold story of thousands of Pennsylvania civil servants who dedicated their professional careers over several generations to treat those stricken with this illness. One of the most noteworthy was a nurse by the name of Eliza C. Allison. She served in the institution known commonly as the “Cresson San” from its opening in 1912 to her termination in 1935.
Born in Fairfax County, Virginia, she served the Commonwealth for over two decades as the Director of Nursing in one of Pennsylvania’s three tuberculosis sanatoriums. Amongst her many achievements was developing a training Institute for student nurses and pioneering a school for tuberculin children. Prior to her tenure at Cresson San, Ms. Allison’s skills were refined at the Philadelphia (PA) Home for the Incurables and the Washington (D.C.) Hospital for the Foundlings. This is where she received her training at a local nursing school.
After being replaced for reported political

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