SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Memorial Health is celebrating 125 years. What started as the 12-bed Springfield Hospital and Training School opened April 19, 1897.
It was originally a private home at Fifth St. and North Grand Ave.
Now, more than a century later Memorial Health serves tens of thousands of patients across the state.
Today, the nonprofit health system launched a six-month celebration of its quasquicentennial, or its 125th anniversary.
Activities planned during the next six months include putting time capsules on the five hospitals’ campuses, baskets for babies born at any Memorial Health hospital today (April 19), an animated historical timeline video on the Memorial Health website and the health system’s Facebook page.
The observance will end with a to-be-announced Memorial Health Day in the fall.
“While our founders would probably be amazed by the technology and facilities we have available today, I think they would recognize in our colleagues the same spirit of compassion and commitment that they had 125 years ago,” said Ed Curtis, president and CEO of Memorial Health. “While much in health care has changed, we’ve stayed true to their mission and vision.”
The founders were a small group of German Lutherans and members of the local medical community. In the 1930s, the hospital's needs were greater than what the Lutheran congregations could support alone, and it became a nondenominational institution with a board made up of members of the Springfield community.
Springfield Hospital was renamed “Memorial Hospital” in 1943, when a 300-bed facility was constructed on the present site. That hospital, later known as Memorial Medical Center and now as Springfield Memorial Hospital, became the flagship institution of Memorial Health System, which was created in the mid-1990s.
Today, Memorial Health is made up of five hospitals, a network of Memorial Care clinics, behavioral health services and home care with nearly 10,000 employees.
Taylorville Memorial Hospital, which was founded in 1906 as St. Vincent Memorial Hospital, has been part of Memorial Health since May 1, 2007.
“As part of a health system with a long history of service to the community, we are able to draw upon resources from the system while maintaining our focus to provide local health care to the people we serve,” said Kim Bourne, president and CEO of Taylorville Memorial Hospital.
Memorial Health’s three other hospitals are Decatur Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville Memorial Hospital and Lincoln Memorial Hospital.
“Reaching 125 years is a great achievement, but we haven’t done it alone,” Curtis said. “From our earliest days, we’ve been fortunate to have the support and goodwill of the people of Springfield and our region, and with their help, we continue to fulfill our mission.”
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