Electra Memorial Hospital

Description

Electra Hospital District serves as the center for healthcare services for the community Electra Memorial Hospital offers comprehensive services including a 24hour emergency Level IV Trauma Center laboratory radiology rehabilitation surgery and cardiopulmonary services and a variety of community services Electra Medical Clinic offers general and family healthcare service Other district services include Electra Home Health Electra Medical Supply Imagination Station Day Care and Goldsmiths Drug

History

The roots of Electra Hospital District began when Dr Henry Ogden and Dr T H Parmley built and managed the ParmleyOgden Hospital in 1927 with approximately 30 stockholders The threestory building was located in the 400 block of North Wichita Street and served Electra and surrounding communities

When Dr P E Fish arrived in late 1927 he lived in the basement of the hospital It wasnt until the late 1930s that shareholders took over hospital operations and renamed the facility to Electra Hospital

When Lyndon B Johnson signed the bill that created the Medicare program on July 30 1965 changes in the way hospitals were regulated made it increasingly difficult for the old building to meet the requirements of the Medicare program Dr Fish and Ogden along with others saw the need for a new hospital facility and began what is now known as the Electra Hospital District

In 1973 Texas Legislation was passed that created the Electra Hospital District subject to a vote of the residents of the district Senator Jack Hightower and Representative Charles Finnell sponsored this legislation at the request of the City of Electra The Wichita County Commissioners Court appointed the initial board directors of the Hospital District which initially included Carl Hayers president Jack E Wilkinson vicepresident Harold J Marsh secretary Dr P E Fish Dr John Thompson Ed Bingham and John Lee

The Board of Directors employed HarperPerkins Architects of Wichita Falls to design the building and called an election to create the District and to pass a 15 million bond issue to construct the hospital The vote to create the District passed by a margin of seven to one and the vote approving the bond issue passed by four to one HambrickCraig of Arlington Texas was the low bidder and was chosen to construct the hospital Bob Meeks was employed as the hospitals first administrator and Harold Marsh served as the Districts tax assessorcollector and assistant administrator for many years

Electra Memorial Hospital was constructed on land given to the District by the W T Waggoner Estate The dedication of the hospital occurred on Americas Bicentennial Day July 4 1976 The hospital opened for business in September 1976 licensed as a 26bed acute care hospital

After operating the hospital for some time the Board of Directors entered into a series of management contracts with various companies including Health Management Associates of Naples Fla and Bethania Hospital of Wichita Falls

In addition to the hospital and a medical clinic Electra Hospital District operates a home health service a medical supply company an ambulance service a rehabilitation center Goldsmiths Drug Store and has recently opened a child care center