All Invited To Our 100th Birthday Party Bash!
100 years ago, a group of community minded leaders recognized the need for high-quality medical care close to home. Girard Medical Center's mission of providing excellent healthcare with compassion as we support our communities has remained constant for a century! You will always be our number one priority and we will continue to look for ways to better serve you!
Please join us on May 11th from 11-1 to celebrate 100 years of caring for our communities.
HISTORY OF GIRARD MEDICAL CENTER
During the summer of 1912, Dr. S. B. Hewett, Dr. D.C. Smith, and Dr. J.W. Davis opened a hospital in the large old house of Capt. J.D. Barker, which stood where the Girard Post Office stands today. While this privately operated hospital served Girard, 358 patients were treated, 325 of whom had surgery. The hospital closed in 1916 after the property was transferred to the federal government During the summer of 1912, Dr. S.B. Hewett, Dr. D.C. Smith and Dr. J.W. Davis opened a hospital in the large old house of Captain J.D. Barker, which stood where the Girard Post Office stands today. The Commercial Club of Girard saw the need for a hospital and circulated petitions in an effort to obtain a hospital for Girard. Their efforts succeeded, and in May 1916, the newly selected Hospital Board of Trustees purchased the site where the old Central School had burned the previous February (2 blocks west of the square on Forest Avenue). Hundreds of large loads of dirt from Burnett’s Lake were hauled to fill in the grounds. In July 1918, the new hospital opened. Joe Kearns of Pittsburg was the contractor, and the cost was approximately $17,000. Hitch & Son contracted the plumbing, heating, and lighting. Mr. Kearns was again the contractor when an addition was completed in March 1941.
In 1965, the Hospital District #1 of Crawford County Board of Trustees campaigned to build a new hospital. A $555,000 bond was voted on in July 1967, and shortly thereafter construction began. The building site for the hospital was provided by Mr. and Mrs. Norman Steffens and children. A dedication and open house was held on March 23, 1969.
An addition was made to the hospital for an ICU unit in 1983.
In 1992, a major renovation was undertaken adding an Education Room, expanded Emergency Department, Laboratory along with other updates.
Hospital District #1 of Crawford County began doing business as Girard Medical Center in 2007.
The Hospital Board of Trustees embarked on a second major renovation and construction project in 2008 in order to accommodate the growing healthcare needs of southeast Kansas. This project added 30,000 new square feet to the facility, and renovated 12,000 square feet of the existing hospital. The expansion created 12 private patient rooms, 4 private ICU rooms, expanded the therapy departments and nursing facilities, and added a new front entrance and lobby. The project included a brand new surgery center equipped with the latest technology. The new facility was opened to the public on June 5, 2010.