Lewistown Hospital

Description

Lewistown Hospital nonprofit organization is a 123bed acute care community hospital serving the 80000 residents of Mifflin and Juniata counties and members of the contiguous counties of Centre Perry Snyder and Huntingdon

Established in 1905 the hospital provides inpatient outpatient wellness and community services while employing over 1000 fulltime and parttime employees and providing a Medical Staff consisting of 128 physicians and allied health practitioners representing specialties ranging from family medicine internal medicine and cardiology to infectious disease and general cardiovascular surgery

Sitting in the middle of Pennsylvanias heartland is a modestsized piece of rural America called the Juniata Valley Words are almost inadequate to describe the rustic charm and beauty of the land The Juniata River meanders leisurely through one of a series of long verdant valleys fringed on all sides by forested mountain ranges and dotted with many quaint towns and villages The Juniata Valley comprises two counties Mifflin and Juniata with a population of approximately 70000 and a diversity of large and small businesses The Valley while primarily rural in nature and with all the beauty and serenity of nature and country living is within the densely populated Northeast Corridor and just a few hours from major metropolitan areas The Valley has major northsouth and eastwest fourlane transportation corridors including railroad lines airports and bus lines all offering easy access into and out of the Region Juniata and Mifflin counties each have county airports and commercial air travel is available at either the University Park Airport in State College or the Harrisburg International Airport both less than an hour away from the Juniata Valley

History

History
96 Years Ago
a few community leaders had a vision which prompted the building of Lewistown Hospital

February 201905
Dr Alexander Samuel Harshberger and 45 individuals signed a petition of incorporation quotto found support and maintain a hospital for the care and relief of injured and sick persons without distinction as to color or creed and to instruct and train women in the duties of nursingquot

May 15 1905
Charter granted by the President Judge Joseph M Woods Membership in the Corporation was 5 year or 100 life The land at its present site was secured from Robert U Jacob for an annual annuity of 125 to be paid to him or his daughter during their lifetimes Then the land passed free to the Hospital Association On November 17 1906 the cornerstone was laid with formal ceremonies

January 1908
The quotWomens Aid Societyquot a forerunner of the Lewistown Hospital Auxiliary adopted their constitution and bylaws Membership was 275

February 18 1908
The three story brick building opened and the first patient was admitted The first surgery an appendectomy was performed a few weeks later Cost 5902621 including furnishings Bonded 18000 Beds 21 adult patient beds 4 childrens cribs 7 beds for nurses and beds for household employees That year 256 patients were admitted at an average cost of 2290 each

April 20 1908
The School of Nursing was established immediately In June 1911 the First Graduation Exercises were held to present diplomas to 6 nurses

1912
The Nurses Residence was completed Cost 8000 State appropriations 4000 MessrsGK and HH McClintic purchased the land as a memorial gift for 1000

1930
The first addition built by The SteinbachBillingmeyer Company to the original hospital increased adult bed capacity to 92 bassinets to 7 and provided a separate labordelivery area In 1938 an operating room suite and dispensary were added

1946
Room rates increased to 300 a day for a child and 750 for a private room

1950
A major building program was begun to extend bed capacity to 184 bassinets to 36 Dining rooms for nurses and doctors and administrative offices were included The community pledged 743729 the federal government provided HillBurton funds the Hayes family gave a gift of the Maternity Wing as a memorial to A Reed Hayes Sr a founder and a Trustee The building program was completed in 1952

1958
The nurses lounge and oncall rooms of 1930 building were converted to a 10bed recovery room

1961
The attic area of the 1950 building was renovated to a 23bed orthopedic unit

1964
The School of Nursing closed

June 1970
The Boards of Lewistown Hospital and the FW Black Hospital founded in 1924 as a private hospital later an osteopathic finalized the first merger of an allopathic and osteopathic hospital in the USA

June 21 1972
The Tower opened Cost 78 million 1622970 from the community Bed capacity expanded to The facility now housed a new laboratory radiology operating rooms recovery room pharmacy physical therapy an Intensive Coronary Care Unit a Chapel Snack Shop Gift Shop and
new Lobby

1974
The inhouse Medical Library opened the first Librarian was Jane Karn

1979
One of the first Hospices in the country was started two nurses staffed HOSPICE The Bridge

April 2 1980
The Maternity Center opened its doors to provide services to 141 patients its first year It was funded by a state grant for those who may previously not have received care This service still exists today

1982
The Medical Office Building MOB and major renovations of the 1950 building necessitated a change in the location of the Lobby Chapel Library and Administrative Offices This provided an expanded laboratory dialysis unit and physicians office space The community contributed 70000 to the dialysis unit they had responded to the plea of one individual James Canfield Editor of The Sentinel who required dialysis treatments The Inpatient Psychiatric Unit was opened and combined with outpatient services opened in 1981 to create the Department of Neuropsychiatry

1984
The Central Pennsylvania Health Care System became the Lewistown Hospital Foundation

March 27 1985
Lewistown Ambulatory Care was established this is a corporation which allows purchase of properties for the hospitals use

May 17 1985
HEI Health Enterprises Inc a for profit corporation allowed the development of the TLC Pharmacies in our communities

Fall 1987
Expansion of the Emergency Department was completed featuring a larger waiting room more spacious nurses station and physician area a nurse triage area and 16 treatment areas had been 9

April 1989
The Extended Care Facility opened The 17bed unit was to serve the needs of patients too well to stay in the hospital but not well enough to go to a free standing nursing home It closed after three years

September 1989
The Advanced Life Support Program began with quotMedic 89quot trained paramedics began to provide advanced care in the community

July 1 1991
Family Health Associates of Lewistown Hospital a primary group practice and a nonprofit corporation began by acquiring the practice of James Xanthopoulos DO It has continued to grow and today numbers 20 physicians a certified nurse midwife a nurse practitioner and 2 physician assistants

January 1992
A fixed Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI unit was installed at a cost of 235 million

1994
Lewistown Hospital donated a paved one mile walking trail to the Derry Township Community Park

1996
The Lewistown Hospital Foundation became Lewistown Healthcare Foundation The Community Cancer Treatment Center opened to provide stateoftheart radiation therapy 28 million

Fall 1997
The Lewistown Hospital Auxiliary donated generously to renovate the Third Floor Lobby

February 1998
The Center for Behavioral Health opened on Market Street Lewistown as the Hospital began to move more services into the community

October 1998
Rehab Services moved into the Juniata Valley YMCA forming a unique partnership