The Bertha Van Hoosen papers consist of correspondence, a compilation of journal articles, materials related to the creation of a Medical Women’s Library at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, illustrations and photographs of her medical work, and reference materials about women in medicine, generally. The collection contains valuable information related to the history of women in medicine and the institutional histories of the American Women’s Hospital and the Medical College of Pennsylvania, as well as the American Women’s Medical Association.

The collection is divided into the following series: "Correspondence," "Teaching Material," "Journal Articles," "Women in Medicine Reference Material," "Medical Women's Library Plans," "Images," "Artifacts," and "Mary Elizabeth Bates Records."

Van Hoosen’s "Correspondence," dating from 1924 to 1971 (bulk: 1924 to 1950), makes up the majority of the collection. Correspondence includes information related to the American Medical Association and missionary work, as well as other more general topics. Intermingled among the correspondence, researchers will find related magazine articles, newspaper clippings, invitations, event programs, speeches, postcards and Christmas cards. There is also correspondence filed in the Medical Women's Library series, regarding Van Hoosen’s hopes to create a library at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Her plans for the medical library focused on highlighting the history of women in medicine and she corresponded with physicians and librarians around the world compiling bibliographies on the subject and collecting books and other related materials for the library.

The "Journal Articles," from 1913 to 1929, are primarily written in Russian and German, however, some are in English or Ukrainian. They are arranged alphabetically by language and then chronologically within those groups. Most of the foreign language articles pertain to the practice of gynecology and obstetrics. Of the English language articles, one is about Van Hoosen, and two are about women in medicine. The reference materials and bibliographic information, which van Hoosen collected, are related to women in medicine and include a list of handwritten citations (1850-1934) that were likely compiled by Clara Eliza Axtell Poynter (1876-1952) and sent to Van Hoosen on January 31, 1941. In addition, there is a bibliographical card index of women physicians mentioned in the Medical Women’s Journal from 1941 to 1948. The cards are arranged alphabetically by physician's name and note the issue addressed and page number on which she was referenced in the Medical Women’s Journal. The collection also includes photographs, illustrations and x-rays that were created during medical case studies and/or used in journal articles. The patient case study photographs include male and female genitalia, women demonstrating the breast pump, and one photograph of just the breast pump. The illustrations are generally of reproductive organs. There is also a series of illustrations that appear to demonstrate the “buttonhole” appendectomy surgical technique developed by Van Hoosen.

The last two series in the collection, "Artifacts" and "Mary Elizabeth Bates Records," do not immediately relate to Van Hoosen. The "Artifacts" series houses the following items: a seal of the Medical College of Pennsylvania and a banner of the American Women’s Hospital. Mary Elizabeth Bates (1861-1954) was a physician who studied and worked in Chicago, Illinois in the 1880s and was a member of the American Medical Association. Materials regarding Bates' scholarly and professional accomplishments are included in this series.