Timeline

Chronological History

1951 - Memorial Hospital opens as an acute care facility with 75 beds and an active medical staff of 7 physicians.

1970 - Advisory board replaced by a Board of Directors responsible for operations of Memorial Hospital.

1971 - A $3 million expansion project increases number of beds to 131. Intensive Care Unit opens with a 3-bed ward.

1974 - Memorial Hospital Foundation established to generate and disburse funds for benefit of the hospital. A part-time podiatrist joins medical staff.

1975 - A hospital-based Emergency Medical Ambulance Service is initiated. A full-time internal medicine physician joins medical staff. Intensive Care Unit expanded to seven beds including telemetry.

1976 - Full-time weekend emergency room physician coverage added to Memorial’s services.

1979 - A full-time ophthalmologist joins the medical staff.

1980 - A full-time obstetrician/gynecologist joins the medical staff.

1982 - A full-time urologist joins the medical staff.

1984 - A full-time orthopaedic surgeon joins the medical staff.

1985 - A $13.1 million addition expands services such as pharmacy, obstetrics, surgery, medical records, psychiatry and dietary. ICU upgraded to 6 critical beds and 10 telemetry beds with computerized monitoring.

1986 - A 24-bed skilled caring unit opens. Radiation therapy available through consulting medical staff.

1987 - Full-time CT-scanner is operational.

1988 - Medical oncology services available through consulting medical staff.

1989 - A full-time pediatrician joins medical staff, and an occupational medicine physician is contracted to operate Industrial Medicine Clinic. Also, first Mobile MRI is performed.

1991 - A full-time vascular and thoracic surgeon joins staff. Home Health services are started. Hospice services transferred from county to a department of the hospital. Multi-million dollar expansion project announced to increase outpatient and emergency services to Memorial’s growing service area. Phase I of the building project completed with the new 75-car parking lot.

1992 - Chronic Renal Dialysis added. Phase II of building project started in January. Ground- breaking took place in May. Hospital acquires ownership of Medical Arts Building.

1993 - Second full-time Cardiovascular Surgeon joins staff. Three full-time physicians hired to staff Emergency Department. Phase II-A of building project completed; new outpatient wing occupancy in fall of 1993. Phase III commences in fall of 1993. Active staff grows to 41 physicians. Permanent MRI opens for patients. Hospital receives designation from HICFA as a “Rural Referral Center”, only one of four in the state of Indiana.

1994 - Cardiac Cath/Angiography Lab opens. Active staff grows to 50. Heritage Building Project is completed. Colonial Manor Apartments are purchased for additional hospital office space.

1995 - Hospital begins active participation in the Patoka Valley Regional Health Care Cooperative.

1995 - Medical Arts Building construction begins to add physician office space.

1996 - Hospital begins construction on Surgery Expansion, outpatient Women’s Center, and 95-space parking lot.

1997 - Bone Densitometry and Dermatology added, and a primary care clinic, Ferdinand Family Medicine, is opened in Ferdinand, Indiana.

1998 - A new Women’s Center doubles mammography capabilities. 95-space parking lot opens on the Northeast edge of campus.

1999 - Loogootee Family Medicine opens in a new facility, and a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) is added to the staff. Martin County Health Clinic opens.

2000 - Shoals Health Center opens in Shoals, Indiana.

2001 - Lithotripsy added as a service and a new four-story parking garage opens. Dale Family Medicine opens. Plans are announced for a new, seven-level, patient tower to begin construction late in 2002.

2002 - Ferdinand Family Medicine and Petersburg Family Medicine open. Computer-Aided Diagnostics (CAD) services added to Radiology Department. Construction begins on new patient tower.

2003 - Positron Emission Tomography (P.E.T.) services added to Radiology Department.

2004 - Interventional Cardiology Services added.

2005 - LCM Tower opened with the relocation of Emergency and Ambulance Services, Radiology Services, Critical Care Services, and Women and Infant Services; and an Inpatient Rehab Center opened in the hospital’s Barrett Building.

2006 - Wound Care Center opened; PACS was installed in Radiology; and a new birth record was set with 107 babies born in one month.

2007 - Lange-Fuhs Cancer Center opened and an affiliation with Indiana University Melvin & Bren Simon Cancer Center was announced; new Post-Surgical, Pediatric, and Medical units opened in LCM Tower; Digital mammography added to Women’s Center.

2008 - New Heart & Vascular Center opened on LCM Tower's Sixth Level; New medical office opened in Holland; New Sleep Center developed; Employee count topped 1,400 and nearly 90 physicians are on the active medical staff.

2009 - New medical office opened in French Lick; New Memorial Medical Office of Huntingburg opened. Fitness classes and wellness coaching begin being offered at new Memorial Southside Office.

2010 - Memorial Hospital establishes a partnership with University of Louisville Stroke Center for the use of telerobotic medicine and access to stroke neurologist expertise. Memorial Home Care named HomeCare Elite™ for fifth consecutive year.

2011 - Memorial Hospital celebrates 60th anniversary; new "996" prefix is announced. On-line bill pay is added to services, plus a pulmonologist joins the Medical Staff.

2012 - Caring Hands Senior Services opens on Level 4 of the Barrett Building at Memorial Hospital. Memorial Outpatient Surgery Center, Memorial Outpatient MRI, and Memorial Urology Associates open in the new St. Thomas Medical Center. Outpatient Center opens on the campus of Memorial Hospital.

2013 - Country Health Center opens in Montgomery, Indiana. Spine specialist and gastroenterologist are added to Medical Staff.

2014 - Memorial Health Center on 2nd Street in Jasper opens and becomes the new home for IMED in addition to Memorial Orthopaedic Associates and the first worksite wellness clinic.

2015 - Dahl Family Medicine opens in Washington, Indiana. Outpatient Rehabilitation Services relocates to Memorial Health Center on 2nd Street.