Ida Maud Cannon In Social Work

Ida Maud Cannon is a historical figure worth mentioning since she is considered the “medical social work pioneer” (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). This woman has made many contributions in medical social work. Ida was a nurse prior to leaping into the social work field (Social work trailblazer, 1997). She was an inspiring woman who travelled to many different countries to create and teach training programs for students and staff. Ida was one of the few that worked with lower class clients who had “unspeakable diseases” (Kerson, T. S., & McCoyd, J. M., 2013). Ida made the connection between social work and the medical field (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). I have been working with Youth Advocate Programs for two and a half years.

After two years of working in nursing, she ended up studying sociology at the University of Minnesota (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). The lecture given by Jane Addams at the University lit the fire in Ida to work with the poor. Her understanding of poverty, occupation, and disease grew while working at St. Paul Associated Charities; however, she yearned to learn more and went back to school for Social Wok (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). While she was in school, she moved in with her brother and settled there permanently (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). In 1905, she worked for Dr. Richard Cabot at Massachusetts General Hospital and in 1907, she was named the “Head Worker” (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). Dr. Cabot requested Ida to investigate acquiring clients with community-based care (Kerson, T. S., & McCoyd, J. M., 2013). Her role as Chief of Social Service started in 1915 and lasted for 31 years (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). She travelled to share her ideas with many hospitals and helped develop a training program for medical social workers (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). She helped create a course at Simmons College for the medical social work field (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). Her involvement in many organizations helped her receive the degrees she acquired from two

She also worked for the Massachusetts Conference of Social Work. Ida was president of both of those organizations at one point in her life. The National Conference of Charities, White House Conference on Child Health and Protection, Massachusetts State Commission to Study Laws, Child Council, as well as Advisory Committee on the Medical Care Program of the State Department of Public Health are all the organizations worth mentioning that Ida was involved (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). Her contributions to the community earned her the privilege to receive the Doctor of Science degree from Boston University as well as the Doctor of Humanities degree from the University of New Hampshire (Social Welfare History Project, 2012). Ida also wrote a book which discussed the link between hospitals and social conditions (Woods, E. B., 1914). Her work came to end when she had a stroke at the age of 80 and passed away three years later (Social Welfare History Project,