The 1947 Hill-Burton Act 
The 1947 Hill-Burton Act provided federal funding for these institutions along with a charge that they provide free service if needed. Charles Rosenberg's history of these institutions credits their growth from the almshouses of the early 18th century. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin created the first partially publicly funded example of one of these institutions in Philadelphia in 1752. The professionalization of nursing, coupled with urbanization after the Civil War, led to an explosion in the creation of these institutions. FTP what large buildings provide centralized health care?
The 1947 Hill-Burton Act provided federal funding for these institutions along with a charge that they provide free service if needed.