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Description

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Mission
Together we make a difference through our commitment to excellence in health care

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History

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It began as a dream the Hospital on the Hill

As early as 1923 the idea of a nondenominational nonprofit community hospital was promoted by civicminded citizens By January of 1924 that idea had jelled into an informally organized Hospital Committee

After much discussion about where to locate a hospital the committee turned its sights to property overlooking Fairground Park now Capaha Park the site for the areas annual fall agricultural exposition It was to the west some of the original incorporators argued that the city would grow

That westward expansion they surmised would be prompted by the location of a new public school in that area two years later in 1926 Franklin School was built

The Southeast Missouri Hospital Association was organized in 1926 for the purpose of raising funds to build equip and operate a nonprofit and nonsectarian hospital Today the Southeast Missouri Hospital Association continues to play an integral role in the ongoing growth and development of the Hospital

Find out how you can become a member

Back in 1926 the Association purchased a 525 acre tract of land from Emil Thilenius and Mrs Anna Keller and a little later a 5acre tract where the Ben Greene home was located was bought from Hervey Little and became the site of the present Hospital The acreage in use for livestock production and crops marked the westernmost boundary of the city Fewer than a dozen homes existed west of Broadway and Louisiana Streets

The Association turned to the public to generate enough money to start construction Public response was generous as it had been regarding the Hospital since the project began Within eight weeks 386 contributors had given cash and pledges of about 90000 Another 75000 in bonds were also issued in 1927 and retired at the end of 1937 to build the 90bed hospital