Allen County Regional Hospital Debut
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Saturday, October 26, 2013
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A NEW ERA OF HEALTHCARE Allen County Regional Hospital Debuts
Then and now: Medical presence spans 108 years By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
This is the second time in the history of Allen County voters have approved the construction of a new hospital. The doors to the first county-owned hospital opened Aug. 1, 1952, at the corner of East Street and Madison Avenue. Thomas H. Bowlus, local benefactor, donated the land and $50,000 for the site of the new hospital. Bowlus, in fact, was credited for initiating the campaign to build a new hos-
pital. It replaced St. John’s Hospital, which began as a private venture, and was taken over by the Sisters of St. Joseph in October 1905. This time around, the effort to locate a site was not so easy. For the first year of the planning phase, hospital trustees had settled on land at the east entrance to town, a derelict site where old smelters once were. The 16-acre site was nestled between Citizens Bank and the Family Physicians on East Street and a section to
the north of Monroe Street. The tract was fraught with setbacks, including the perceived high prices demanded by its multiple owners — a total price tag of $600,000 to $700,000 — cleanup of the contaminated soil, and dissatisfaction expressed by hospital architects who didn’t want to work within the confines of the space. Once the East Street site was eliminated, trustees pursued various other locations, to settle on 30.3 acres owned by the James Hopper family on North Kentucky Street for $367,200. What it lacks in visibility, it makes up by providing a peaceful setting with views of farmland or fields from most every vantage.
Together, We provide progressive, compassionate care that • Promotes wellness, • Relieves suffering,
house FiftyX-ray one years unit, b e t we e n t h e hospitals • And restores health o n l y provides one of a unique — Mission statement of its kind perspecAllen County Regional Hospital in Kansas. tive of what Cost was makes a desir$518,000, plus able facility. “thousands of The 1952 facility dollars in gifts of furwas described as a “monolithic,” T-shaped building re- nishings and equipment,” acplete with two stories, part cording to a July 23, 1952 edibasement, and a capacity of tion of The Iola Register. Financing for the 1952 Allen 42 beds in 24 patient rooms. Architect was John E. Brink County Hospital was through of Iola’s Brink and Dunwoody two county bond issues of $275,000 and $100,500, plus fedArchitects and Engineers. At the time, it was the only eral aid equal to 40 percent of air-conditioned hospital in the total cost. southeast Kansas. It also took See HISTORY | Page A8 pride in having a Westing-
! patients ur o t s r o o d to open its any throughou lthcare l il w l a ospit d hea the m gional H and vision of naged advance e R y t n ication en Cou ally ma new All ent to the ded lly owned, loc iends, r e F h t r , a s e k D ca am nd few wee ing a lo is a test stones, a ounty e In just a t achievement ted to establish il m d a nC ts an This gre ity who commit igh poin . First, our Alle for our h y n a . n m s y been e toda of care commu r our resident ere have be where we ar g a high level rovided great o h f t y , s it h il t c n fa not tainin ians p st mo t these pa hom we would nal job of main e. Our physic state-of-the-ar of r e v o k m w t a c io o n t t a g h u u p b e o o in e g c r h Lookin keholders wit as done an ex g for our futu es for establish incredible am n h a a ic in t many s Hospital staff ing and plann and best pract rs has shown l o k Regiona while also wor e requirements oard of Direct al B h , t s s p medic al u o r patient nd input into d the hospital’ this moment. G s a y loc cilitie insights ccess facility, an orked toward ealth Fa d all of the man in which H t a ls w a a y facilit ession tion an critical support as we ted prof pany Construc ortar reality, a n d n le a a t t s e tru Com and m tive, th perspec mpany, Murray n into a bricks ip h s r e visio partn re co d the From a and architectu ers turned our who ha rate a new s r o b h k g d ope d neig plannin actors and wor e. iends an rces to build an r f r id t r r n u p o o t c , a b su gre nk you e resou all take idn’t tha en asked for th mended. d I we can if s as remis d com s” wh ould be ion to vote “ye ngratulated an mission ive, w d I n , a y r ll e t a char novat And fin and the convict ou are to be co that our to bringing in Put simply, e y t e , a r g p e a e t r it s d u e co mitte anner. riends nt to r For that ity, I wa d — we are com, personalized m of care to the f ice il c a hospital. f w level of cho hange our ne ionate ve into al remains unc s in a compass ver the highest e the hospital iding o m e w Even as l Access Hospit ur communitie ing that we deli r goal to becom lness, and prov ealth. h r o u a a Critic healthcare to d work of ensu e serve. It is o ou in times of il ing the best of d r y advance ontinue our ha communities w ies, caring for you in maintain of t e c t n h r l new era t u o il o p is c w in p h h t g u it s we in in w o d t r s rroun hbor urces e ushe and neig in Allen and su d wellness reso ether w g o t s a n e n show for thos e, diagnostic a t you’ve s u iv r t t n e d v n pre ort a the supp r o f in a ou ag as. Thank y outheast Kans S care for
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