Our History

Providing Quality Medical Services to the Community for More Than Seven Decades

In the mid-1940s, the City of Jasper set a goal for itself -- the construction of a local hospital to relieve the critical shortage of hospital beds in the area. After six years of planning, development, and construction, Memorial Hospital opened its doors for patients on July 11, 1951.

The $1,100,000 needed for construction and design costs came from a number of sources. Two local businessmen donated the land for the structure; three public fund drives were held to raise enough money to qualify for federal grants, and the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary donated a sizable amount of money toward the realization of what had truly become a community project.

First Days

When its doors opened, Memorial Hospital was hailed as one of the finest general hospitals in the state. Known worldwide for their outstanding hospital facilities, the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary were chosen to staff, operate, and maintain this showcase facility. Nine Sisters were on the original staff, and numerous others were added as the hospital grew.

In addition to the Sisters, a large number of laypersons in the community contributed to its operation. Initially, townspeople served on the hospital’s advisory board. In 1970, the advisory board was discontinued, and laypersons were invited to serve on a Board of Directors which operates the hospital as a non-profit organization to this day.

Timeline

• 1951 – Memorial Hospital began seeing patients.
• 1971 – A four-story, 33,000 square foot wing was added to the Hospital.
• 1976 – Emergency Services began.
• 1978 – Cardiopulmonary services were expanded to address growing rates of heart disease
  • The gift shop and cafeteria were expanded.
• 1979 – Memorial Hospital changed its name to Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center.
• 1980 – The Sisters of the Little Company of Mary moved to a new home, and their former convent was renamed the Memorial Hospital Annex, which is utilized as office spaces today.
• 1986 – A 45,000 square foot expansion was added to the hospital, in addition to renovations of the 50,000 square feet of existing space. This increased bed capacity to 131.
  • This expansion included new areas for Critical Care, Medical Records, Pharmacy, Dietary, Surgery, Chapel, Volunteer, and Administrative departments.
• 1987 – A CT scanner was installed thanks to a generous donation.
• 1988 – Medical Oncology Services opened a clinic in the Medical Arts Building.
• 1989 – A full-time pediatrician joined the staff.
  • An occupational medicine physician became the director of IMED, the Industrial Medicine Clinic.
• 1991 – Memorial Hospital celebrated our 40^th anniversary!
  • Construction began on a new expansion project for outpatient services.
  • A 75-space parking lot was added, as well as 37,000 square feet of new space for Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Emergency Services, and an MRI machine in Radiology.
  • The existing 15,000 square feet of hospital space was renovated.
• 2002 – The largest expansion project began – the seven-level LCM Tower.
• 2005 – The first three levels of the tower were completed and contained new facilities for the Emergency Department, Radiology Services, Chapel, Critical Care Services, and Women & Infant Services. Private rooms designed with a hotel-like ambiance were also added.
  • The new Inpatient Rehab Center was opened.
• 2007 – The Lange Fuhs Cancer Center opened along with Levels 4 & 5 of the LCM Tower. These levels contained Medical, Post-Surgical, and Pediatric Services.
  • A new Urgent Care Center and Wound Care Center opened in Huntingburg.
• 2008 – The Phillip R. Dawkins Heart & Vascular Center opened on Level 6 of the LCM Tower.
  • Heartland Cardiology opened on Scott Rolen Drive in Jasper.
• 2009 – The Tower Café, Health Information Management, Medical Library, and Conference Rooms opened on the lower level of the LCM Tower.
  • The primary care and General Surgery opened at the Huntingburg Clinic on 22^nd street in Huntingburg, IN.
• 2012 – The St. Thomas Medical Center opened, creating a new Memorial Outpatient Surgery Center and MRI Suite to meet the growing needs of the communities served.
• 2018 – Memorial Hospital received verification as a Level III Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee.
• 2018 - Little Company of Mary Medical Complex opened in Jasper. This facility is home to Memorial Health Family Medicine and our Family Medicine Residency Program in collaboration with Indiana University School of Medicine, the sponsoring institution.
• 2020 - Memorial Surgical Associates opened with two general surgeons.

Where We Are Today

As a regional health center with more than 1,800 caregivers and approximately 250 physicians and advanced practice providers on the Active Medical Staff, Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center serves residents of eight counties in southwestern Indiana with medical offices located in Bristow, Dale, Ferdinand, French Lick, Holland, Huntingburg, Jasper, Loogootee, Montgomery, Petersburg, Santa Claus, Shoals, and Washington. Annually, the hospital’s staff provides medical care for approximately 6,000 inpatients, 250,000 outpatients, 26,000 emergency patients, and 950 newborns.

Memorial Hospital has recently been recognized nationally by being the recipient of the 2018 Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award. This recognition is a presidential-level honor that recognizes exemplary U.S. organizations and businesses that demonstrate an unceasing drive for radical innovation, thoughtful leadership, and administrative improvement.