Sowing the seeds of love, Memorial Hospital celebrates 60 years of caring community partnership
The combination of the love and caring of Christianity can find no better companion than that of a hospital. This is no better exemplified than the story of Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center and the Sisters of Little Company of Mary as they celebrate 60 years of spiritual and physical healing in Dubois County.
The roaring ceilings of the St. Joseph Church rang out with the fine voices of the men and women that came to worship God and give thanks for having such a loving neighbor for so long in our community.
Rt. Rev. Lambert Reilly compared Memorial’s growth in the community to the seeds that fell upon the good earth and grew to yield 30, 60, and 100 times the bounty in Matthew 13 1-8. “We are reaping the hundredfold bounty of this institution.”
This Liturgy of Thanksgiving was accented by stories of the past memorable members and patients of the hospital who built it from its humble beginning as one of the finest general hospitals in the state in 1951 to the specialized modern hospital that resides here today.
After the mass, the crowd was invited to refreshments and a chance to view photos and news stories from the past 60 years of Memorial Hospital’s growth. The Hospital’s 60th Anniversary Commemorative book was available free of charge for all and can still be obtained from the hospital for those interested.
The guests mused through the old photos and stories and remembered the growth of the hospital, many with personal stories from their own experiences.
Director Emeritus Glenn Gramelspacher spoke of a few experiences he had with the hospital. “I was in here for an appendix surgery two and half months after it opened. They opened in July and I was in her for surgery in September. They imported a doctor from Evansville for the surgery and then they put me on the third floor –I guess the second floor was full—for recovery. A nurse would come up to seeif I was okay about every hour.”
His first daughter, Sherry Philbrick, was born two days prior to the opening of the maternity ward in the hospital. “We hoped she would hold on a few more days, but she didn’t and we had to go to Evansville.”
Sr. M. Adrian Davis, LCM Ph.D., Sisters of Little Company of Mary Board Chairperson, began here in 1992 and from the beginning has loved the people she works with. “Working with the 1400 members of our hospital that are touching so many lives and fulfilling the needs of our community is what I love.“
Touching upon an important aspect of Memorial Hospital’s mission, Sr. M. Davis explained, “As important as the need is for caring for the sick and dying, we feel the spiritual formation in our employees and patients is just as important.”
Dr. Robert Ehrhard, Medical Staff President, spoke about how this hospital has continued to grow even in difficult times. “It has been a challenging environment and a challenge to survive, but with a nucleus of good physicians and staff and great guidance we have been able to grow and thrive.”
Many other doctors attending spoke of the dedication and professionalism of the hospital. Comparing it favorably to larger hospitals in the quality of the care and caliber of the staff, many came here directly as a result of knowing the quality of the institution and the community.
“I have been proud to serve this hospital in any capacity during my time here.” Mr. Ray Snowden, President and CEO, began here as a pharmacist thirty years ago. “I have experienced this hospital’s amazing growth the past thirty years and have been privileged to grow with it and the community. We are mission driven. Our mission is being for others and as long as we have that in our hearts we will fulfill the community’s needs.”
Memorial Hospital continues to grow; ground was just recently broken for the new St. Thomas Medical Center, an outpatient surgery center on 13th & Bartley Street. The hospital provides care for nine counties in Southern Indiana. This equates to 8000 inpatients, 225,000 outpatients, 30,000 emergency calls, and 1000 newborns each year.
National and state recognition for Memorial Hospital in recent years includes the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals® Award; Select Practice National Quality Award; “Five-Star Hospital” designation; Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence®, HomeCare Elite award, and Indiana EMT Provider of the Year Award.
For those interested you can pick up the 60th Anniversary Commemorative Book at Memorial Southside Office – 1100 West 12th Avenue, Jasper – between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
