Vaden Richey and Joe Bob Burgin go over some of the plans for the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital
60th Anniversary Celebration, in preparation for the event. Jackie Thonton, with back to camera,
was also at the planning event.

 

Hospital Committee Planning
Gala Affair to Celebrate
60th Anniversary

by: Bobby McDonald

 

Members of the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital 60th Anniversary Committee met on Tuesday afternoon to make final plans and report on the activities scheduled for September 3, 2009. "We're expecting a large crowd to be on hand to mark the 60th Anniversary of Hopkins County Memorial Hospital," expressed Ralph Pruess, Chairman of the Board. "We've got loads of activities planned and invite everyone out to celebrate the wonderful healthcare facilities that we have here in Hopkins County and the great accomplishments that have been made in the past 60 years!"

"We have former board members, doctors, administrators, and state, county, and city dignitaries all scheduled to come to the celebration, that takes place in the new foyer of the hospital," expressed Committee Chairman Tommy Allison. "They're all coming back to celebrate with us!"

Craig Roberts will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the celebration, that is scheduled for 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. A special flag presentation will be made by Dr. Jeffry Huffam, of a flag that flew over his unit's headquarters in Iraq. The Hopkins County Military Coalition will present the colors and vocalist, Lydia Walden, will lead the National Anthem.

 

 

A proclamation will be read from Governor Rick Perry and Douglas 5th Grader, Abilene Garcia, will be recognized as the winner in the Poster Contest, sponsored by the committee. Past and present physicians at Hopkins County Memorial will be recognized, as well as present and past board members, and administrators. Other recognitions will be made of Longest Tenured Employee - Karen Strickland; Longest Tenured Volunteer - Mrs. Hazel McIntire; and Longest Current Tenured Volunteer - Peggy Watts.

 

Hopkins County Memorial Hospital CEO, Michael McAndrews, and Board Chairman, Ralph Preuss,
lend their support to plans for the September 3rd 60th Anniversary Celebration.

 

Following closing remarks, refreshments will be served in the hospital foyer, where scrapbooks from the past 60 years will be available for viewing and a power-point presentation will be on-going of photographs from the history of the local institution.

Members of the 60th Anniversary Planning Committee include: W.T. Allison II, Joe Bob Burgin, Bill Bradford, Judy Gilreath, Dr. Al Glaess, G.V. Hughes, Dr. Joe Longino, Sherry Moore, Vaden Richey, Dawn Sheffield, Karen Strickland, Jackie Thornton, and William Zahn.

 

 

To capture just what progress has been made, the following statement from the program, reflects on the accomplishments:

"In the early days of the county, it was common to see a physician driving the roads in a horse and buggy. Later, many of these same physicians opened hospitals in their homes, many of them located around the downtown square, and some out in the rural communities. After WWII, it became apparent that the county needed one hospital big enough to accommodate the needs of all. In 1946, the Commissioner's Court of Hopkins County purchased a lot on North Davis Street and waited for federal aid in constructing a county hospital. In 1948, a Board of Managers was selected and in 1949, the first official county hospital was opened on that location.

Additional room and space, as well as increased services, demanded a much bigger facility in the 1960's. Community leaders such as Jim Masters, pushed legislation creating a hospital district for Hopkins County. The new facility, located at 411 Airport Road, was opened in 1968. Since then, additions have been made to include: a new Emergency Services Department; a new ICU unit; Woman's Pavilion; MRI/Radiology; Cath Lab; Lobby, Gift Shop, and Patient Bed Tower. Then, in 2010, the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital will unveil a completely renovated state of the art facility, under construction now, to continue to make the citizens of Hopkins County adequately covered with health care."

Mark your calendar for 5:30 p.m., Thursday, September 3, 2009, to come celebrate the many, many accomplishments of Healthcare in Hopkins County and mark 60 years of progress!

 

Hopkins County Memorial Hospital opened in 1949 at
this location on North Davis Street.

 

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