The community asked for a hospital… The hospital’s origin goes back to 1947 when the Calcasieu Parish Medical Society filed a request with the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury to be permitted to operate a 75-bed hospital at the deactivated Lake Charles Air Force Base on a temporary basis. The Calcasieu Parish Hospital opened in that location on April 1, 1947 and it was stated that it would remain in operation until a new hospital could be built. In 1948, the U.S. Public Health Service approved a federal grant of $422,667 for the Calcasieu Parish Hospital Corporation to assist the new hospital project. The request was made by the corporation, which Dr. Walter O. Moss was president. To meet the healthcare needs of the community during the population influx in the 1940s and 1950s, a request by the Calcasieu Parish Medical Society was finally granted to build a hospital in Lake Charles. In December of 1949, a steering committee was developed to incorporate the non-profit organization known as Southwest Louisiana Hospital Association. Grassroots fundraising efforts were launched to “request a donation from every resident.” Just two months after the launching of the fundraising drive, records show that over $620,000 had been donated and pledges were still to be collected. This incredible response from the community further illustrated the desire for a hospital of this nature. The area that was dedicated to build Lake Charles Memorial Hospital was situated in an up-and-coming neighborhood, Oak Park. Although there was another option of land to build the hospital, on the west side of Lake Charles near the lake, the planning committee thought it would best to build in the direction the town was starting to move: the southeast section. This would allow for easy access for medical care close to families moving to the area.
A Memorial Legend
From the beginning, Lake Charles Memorial has been community-driven.
D
d o
First Baby Born
The hospital was up and running five days before the official opening to welcome its first baby. Margaret Joyce Miller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe T. Miller was born at LCMH on October 18, 1952. Mr. Miller was supervisor of construction for the facility.
1952
Sc
1
October 1952
F
Memorial Hospital Opens
Dr. Walter O. Moss was a trailblazer in the early formation of Memorial. His passion and dedication inspired the citizens of southwest Louisiana to make financial contributions toward the project of building a community hospital. He was the president of the Calcasieu Parish Hospital Corporation at the time Memorial was being formed.
When the construction was completed, Lake Charles Memorial Hospital opened its doors to the public on October 23, 1952 with 100 beds, 20 nurses, and at a cost of $1,800,000. This not-for-profit institution was operated by the Southwest Louisiana Hospital Association, with a Board of Directors serving without compensation.
is lev