Boston Dispensary Site - View this location on map In 1796 a group of community-minded Bostonians formed the first permanent medical institution in New England, the Boston Dispensary, to provide free medical care to the poor. The Dispensary established its original clinic at this site in 1856. An innovative force in American medical history, the Dispensary was the first in the country to provide its patients with a visiting nurse association, dental clinic, rehabilitative clinic, and well-child services; it introduced the world's earliest food and nutrition clinic in 1918. The Dispensary merged with the Floating Hospital and Pratt Diagnostic Clinic in 1965 to form the New England Medical Center. Bennet and Ash Streets, Boston, MA Historical

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