Penikese Island Leprosarium and the Real Story of Hansen's Disease
From November, 1905 to March, 1921 Massachusetts administered a hospital for people with Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) on the barren 74-acre island of Penikese in Buzzards Bay, midway between Martha’s Vineyard and New Bedford. During those 16 years, the hospital cared for 36 patients at great expense. For these unfortunate souls, the hospital was also a prison from which none would be discharged.
Join our distinguished panelists; José Ramirez, Jr., LCSW-S, David Scollard, MD, PhD and journalist Ken Hartnett as they discuss their personal and professional connections with this misunderstood disease as we recognize the centennial of the closure of Penikese Island leprosarium.