July 8, 1913 Washington County Hospital opens August 6, 1952 Dixie Pioneer Memorial Hospital opens 1913 TO 2013 H HOSPITAL CARECENTENNIAL OSPITAL ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF CARING C ARE A R E C C E C L N T A E I T N ENTENNIAL P N S I A O L H D Dixie Regional 400 East Campus R Dixie Regional River Road Campus I E X T 1913 I OF CARING E N E R 1913 2013 C E G L I O A N I C A L M E D TO 2013 A hospital is where newborns first meet parents, and where families sometimes say final farewells to loved ones. A hospital is a place of both joy and pain — of life and death — and every emotion in between. It is a place where lifesaving miracles happen every day. For 100 years, a hospital has served the Dixie community to the best of its ability. It doesn’t matter whether the building material is brick and mortar, steel beams or cement. A great hospital is really made when people truly care for and about other people. C A R E C E L N T A E I T N P N S I A O L H D R I E X T I OF CARING E N E R 1913 2013 C E G L I O A N I C A L M E D Hospital CareCentennial ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF CARING Intermountain Dixie Regional Medical Center River Road Campus 1380 E. Medical Center Drive • St. George, UT 84790 400 East Campus 544 S. 400 East • St. George, UT 84770 (435) 251-1000 • www.dixieregional.org Hospital CareCentennial: One Hundred Years of Caring — 1913-2013 Published by: Terri Kane, Vice President Southwest Region & CEO Intermountain Dixie Regional Medical Center Researched and written by: Amey Vance Designed by: Marikrista Raya Oakden Edited by: Terri Draper Photos used with permission of: Lynne Clark from the Lynne Clark Collection, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Washington County Historical Society, Fred Holbrook, and others Cover and page 185 photos by: Jason Earl Butler from the ArgoShots Collection of Fine Art Photography Acknowledgements: T. Robert Cochran, initial research Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information in this book. No part of this book may be copied electronically or otherwise without the express permission of Dixie Regional Medical Center Communications Department. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Intermountain Dixie Regional Medical Center © 2013 with Resources ISBN 978-0-915630-54-0 iv Hospital CareCentennial CONTENTS Preface . vi Jack F. Burr ............... 110 T. Robert Cochran .......... 146 Milestones • 1913-1946 . vii W. Rolfe Kerr .............. 112 Brent J. Low .............. 148 Milestones • 1950-1972 . viii Barbara Wilson Watson....... 114 K. Ron Metcalf............. 150 Milestones • 1972-1983 . ix David G. Clove ............ 116 Cyndi W. Gilbert ........... 152 Milestones • 1983-2003 . x Max Rose................. 118 Vardell Curtis.............. 154 Milestones • 2003-2013 . xi T. Robert Cochran .......... 120 Part One Suzanne B. Allen ........... 122 Hospital Administrators Hospital History K. Ron Metcalf............. 124 Fred Holbrook ............. 156 1910s . 1 Elwood Harrison ........... 158 Foundation Board Leadership 1920-1940s . 13 Gordon Storrs.............. 160 Kenneth Metcalf ........... 126 1950s . 25 L. Steven Wilson............ 162 Brent Snow ............... 128 1960s . 37 Terri Kane ................ 166 Harold “Hal” F. Chesler ...... 130 1970s . 51 Ernestine Nelson............ 131 1980s . 65 Foundation Directors Nick Lang . 132 1990s . 77 Kerry Hepworth ............ 170 Philip G. Condie, M.D. ...... 134 2000 & Beyond . 91 Jack Jenks................. 172 James E. Slemboski.......... 136 Mary Ann Chittick.......... 174 Part Two Kathleen Gubler ........... 138 Leadership Perspectives Marge Shakespeare .......... 140 2013 Medical Staff . 176 Governing Board Leadership Ken Hinton ............... 142 John William “Bill” Hickman.. 108 Patricia Shoemaker-Glessner ... 144 Selected Bibliography . 180 100 Years of Caring v PREFACE ver since the beginning of It was a community effort with our In the 1970s the community decided St. George there has been early pioneers pledging funds to make we were not the experts in hospitals, a desire to provide the best it happen. After a few years Washington and the decision was made to align possible healthcare at the lowest possible County’s hospital became known as with a new organization, Intermountain Ecost. It started with home healthcare, a McGregor Hospital, and it is there that I Healthcare. Intermountain had the same doctor and others who had a little more came into the world. My mother pointed goal of providing excellent healthcare expertise, at least in child-birthing and it out to me quite often. This facility at the lowest possible cost. St. George’s caring for the young. served 39 years until a more modern, and Intermountain’s history has been My grandmother, Emma Cottam, larger hospital was built in 1952. intertwined in community support ever was a midwife who served a lot of Pioneer Memorial Hospital, like since, and we are grateful to be partners. people. Her youngest child, Wilford, so many projects, was built with the Dixie is fortunate to have the best when contracted whooping cough while she “Dixie Spirit” of cooperation, hard work it comes to healthcare, as in all that we was taking care of another’s child who and financial support. Its history is do. The efforts of early and modern had the illness. She watched Wilford laced with determination, community pioneers created this, the great place pass away under conditions she could involvement, and concern for the we call “DIXIE,” and we pay tribute not control. Many others had similar betterment of Dixie’s future. I kept it to their efforts duringD this Hospital experiences. It was no wonder that in busy for most of my teenage years with CareCentennial . the early 1900s a couple of doctors, countless visits for X-rays, broken bones Frank Woodbury and Donald McGregor, and minor surgeries. In this facility our — Daniel D. McArthur got together and decided to purchase the first child was born. And St. George St. George City Mayor Morris Hotel and turn it into a hospital. continued to grow. vi Hospital CareCentennial MILESTONES May 1912 1924 Dr. Frank Woodbury convinces his Dr. McGregor repays stock subscriptions, and the hospital brother-in-law, Dr. Donald name becomes McGregor Hospital McGregor, to start a 1925 hospital with him Dr. Wilford Reichmann begins practice; he delivered November 1912 hundreds of babies here Stock subscriptions raise 1937 $10,000 for a community First X-ray machine installed hospital 1944 Tuesday, July 8, 1913 Penicillin is mass-produced Washington County Hospital opens on for the first time during 100 East in the former Morris Hotel World War II 1918 1946 The Spanish flu epidemic hits St. George “Hospital Hill” is purchased 1919 by Washington County as a Zion National Park is established, and future hospital site tourists become occasional patients 100 Years of Caring vii 1950s 1963 Above-ground nuclear General Electric 300-amp X-ray machine was purchased testing in Nevada leaves for $12,850 fallout across southern Utah 1965 August 6, 1952 The first respirator, cardiac defibrillator, and premature Dixie Pioneer Memorial infant isolette are added Hospital opens on 300 East 1965 and 550 South The first medical specialists, a cardiologist and an August 7, 1952 orthopedist join the medical staff McGregor Hospital closes 1967 1951-1963 Cardiac intensive care unit installed with funds raised Administrators: LaRaine McArthur, Fred Holbrook, from the nurses’ Coronary Ball Derrell Bingham, Erma Sandberg, 1970s Agnes Russell and Grace Snow Air conditioning comes to southern Utah 1963 1971 Elwood Harrison becomes Dixie Pioneer Memorial Hospital now has administrator of Dixie 41 beds Pioneer Memorial Hospital May 1972 Washington County unanimously passes a bond for a new hospital viii Hospital CareCentennial 1972 April 1976 The community raises $274,000 for Dixie Medical Center The first Dixie Medical Center Governing Board is chaired by Bill Hickman February 1973 I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge is completed August 1976 Intermountain officially acquires Dixie Medical Center December 1973 Construction begins on the $4.5 million for $2.65 million Dixie Medical Center 1977 at 544 South 400 East Dixie Medical Center brings up nursing program with Dixie and March 1974 Dixie Hospital Auxiliary, Weber State colleges or “Pink Ladies,” is December 1979 organized Dixie Health Care Foundation is organized with Kenneth Metcalf as board chair April 1975 Intermountain Healthcare is born when LDS Church 1981 divests its hospitals J. Gordon Storrs becomes administrator January 1, 1976 1982 Dixie Medical Center opens with 65 patient rooms Dixie Health Care Foundation’s first fundraiser adds newborn oxymonitor March 1976 Washington County Commission decides to sell Dixie Medical 1983 Center to Intermountain $650,000 is donated to fund the $12.2 million expansion 100 Years of Caring ix December 1983 1992 The first Jubilee of Trees is held at the Four Seasons Hotel Hospital Thrift Shop opens as “Repeat Performance” 1984 1993 24-hour ER service begins Lights for Life Tree erected to raise funds for hospice care 1984 1993 Dixie Medical Center becomes second largest employer in Medical staff has 70 physicians representing 23 specialties Washington County August 1993 1985 61 acres on River Road are purchased as a future L. Steven Wilson becomes administrator hospital site Summer 1985 1997 Dixie’s cancer center opens Dixie Health Care Foundation becomes The Foundation as smallest accredited cancer of Dixie Regional Medical Center center in the United States 2001 1990 Construction