- Memorial Health Center
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Memorial Health Center Type Non-profit organization Industry Health care Founded (1962) Founder(s) Dr. Conrad E. Nystrum Headquarters Medford, Wisconsin, United States Area served North America Employees 525 Website http://www.memhc.org Memorial Health Center is a not-for-profit, primary care health care organization in Taylor and Price Counties in Northcentral Wisconsin, United States. Memorial Health Center is headquartered in Medford, Wisconsin and is composed of a hospital, a continuum of senior care services, therapy centers, a pharmacy, fitness center / gym, and primary care clinics located in Gilman, Medford, Prentice, Rib Lake, and Phillips, Wisconsin. Memorial Health is partnered with Aspirus in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Memorial Health Center employs 525 individuals in the region.
Memorial is a Critical Access Hospital with a Level III Trauma Center staffed 24/7 with access to Level II Trauma treatment and Newborn Intensive Care Unit. It is also a satellite campus of Aspirus’ Heart & Vascular Institute.
Specialists and advanced medical procedures/technologies are onsite. The patient care areas that benefit include: Allergy; Anesthesia – Pain Management; Audiology; Behavioral Health; Cardiology; Diabetes Management; Dialysis; Ear, Nose & Throat; Emergency Services; Endocrinology, General Surgery; Inpatient Acute Care; Internal Medicine; Labor, Birth & Delivery; Laboratory Diagnostic Services; Medical Nutrition Therapy; Nephrology; Oncology & Chemotherapy; Ophthalmology; Orthopaedics; Pharmacy; Pathology; Pulmonary - Sleep Disorders; Pediatrics; Radiology-Imaging; Social Services; Surgical Services; Therapy & Rehabilitation; Urology; and Vascular.
Contents
History
In 1920, the privately owned Medford Clinic/Hospital, located then on Wisconsin Avenue, was established Dr. Conrad E. Nystrum (1869–1923). Dr. Nystrum started his Medford practice in 1892.
Despite an expansion in 1932 to 34 beds, the clinic-hospital often struggled under the necessity to house as many as 50 patients at once. In 1959, it was estimated there were 4,000 patients each for the five practicing doctors in the area.
With funds from a Hill-Burton federal agency and community donations, a new Memorial Hospital of Taylor County (a 50-bed, 10-bassinet hospital) was built at the intersection of Hwy 64 and Gibson Street in Medford. It opened on March 14, 1962, with a final price tag of $953,873.72.
In its first year, the hospital admitted 1,718 patients. It also saw 290 babies born; 343 surgeries – both major and minor; 143 blood transfusions; 2,624 x-ray exams; 1,159 Emergency Department visits; and 13,147 laboratory procedures.
The Medford Clinic, a separate entity from the Memorial Hospital of Taylor County, had four physicians in 1962: Dr. Walther Meyer, Dr. James Keuer, Dr. Lester Nystrum, and Dr. Ray Nystrum. The latter two were sons of founding father Dr. Conrad Nystrum. Ten years later (January 1972), the Medford Clinic was purchased by Memorial Hospital of Taylor County.
Completed in September 1968, was the addition of a second floor to the north, south, and west wings of the hospital, increasing its bed count by 60. The $848,198.04 addition also included the expansion of the Laboratory and X-ray departments, and the construction of a coronary care unit, a physical therapy area, a boiler room, and garage.
In October 1975, Memorial Hospital’s critical care unit was completed.
In 1978 a 68-bed nursing home was attached to the hospital. Within 30 days of opening, the new nursing home was filled to capacity. Only private pay residents were admitted to the facility prior to becoming Medicare certified in 1998.
In June 1983, an ultrasound machine was added to Memorial’s services. In-house mammography and CT scans made their debut in 1984 and 1993 respectively. Digital Mammography, mobile PET/CT and Breast MRIs were introduced in 2008.
In August 1984, Cedar Court Apartments, a 24-unit senior low-income housing complex was established.
In April 1990, Memorial Hospital and Community Health Care, Inc., the parent organization of Wausau Hospital, were affiliated. The affiliation strengthened and expanded Memorial Hospital’s health care capabilities by providing access to more specialists, technology, cost-effective purchasing, and more active physician recruitment. Ownership and control of the hospital remained local. Memorial Hospital of Taylor County continued to be a community, not-for-profit hospital.
In the nineties the following departments expanded: Emergency/outpatient department, lab, surgical services, admissions, ambulance bay/entrance, physical therapy, X-Ray, and the business office.
In February 1991, a new three-phase cardiac rehabilitation program began.
Memorial Hospital of Taylor County (Medford), Good Samaritan Health Center (Merrill), Langlade Memorial Hospital (Antigo) and Wausau Hospital created the Wisconsin Valley Health Network, a not-for-profit health care corporation in June 1996.
In 1999, Memorial Hospital of Taylor County changed its name to Memorial Health Center.
In June 2000, Country Gardens - a Residential Care 28-unit Apartment Complex (RCAC), was opened.
August 2000, Memorial Health Center opened a walk-in clinic under the direction of the hospital’s Emergency Department.
By March 2001, the clinics, hospital, and nursing home officially became one organization. Memorial had also established a strategic and financial partnership with Aspirus, Inc. (Wausau).
Memorial Health Center was designated a Critical Access Hospital in 2002. As a licensed Critical Access Hospital,[1] Memorial Health Center receives cost-based reimbursement for treating Medicare and Medicaid patients. As a provision of this designation, the health center had to reduce its inpatient bed count down to a maximum of 25.
In June 2004, Memorial Health Center began a $19.5 million expansion and renovation project. When construction was completed in 2006, the facility had grown by 80 percent - three state-of-the-art surgical suites to accommodate procedural efficiency for Aspirus Network Specialists, private patient rooms, rooms specifically designed for chemotherapy services, a new emergency department, and a new two-story clinic were the highlights.
The construction addition moved Memorial’s Medford Therapy & Fitness to the vacated adjacent clinic building. It provided the therapy department with an additional 5,000 square feet (460 m2), which was renovated into private therapeutic patient treatment rooms, a state-of-the-art physical therapy gym, and public fitness center.
In 2005, Memorial Health Center was categorized as a Level III Trauma Care Facility,[2] which is a standard above most other critical access hospitals.
In August 2008, Memorial offered expectant parents a new option in childbirth -- water births. It also opened a new Anticoagulation Clinic in late October 2008.
Memorial Health Center was designated an Aspirus Heart & Vascular Institute satellite campus in 2009 after it incorporated/expanded its services to include a cardiac device clinic, diagnostic studies including echocardiograms, stress testing, and nuclear cardiology, vascular specialists and services, Level 1 treatment of cardiac patients (streamlined diagnosis, transfer, treatments, and the inclusion of an Aspirus MedEvac transport vehicle and paramedic), and an anticoagulation clinic.
Later that same year, 2009, Memorial Health Center also opened a new Kidney Care center offering dialysis services.
Mission
The mission of Memorial Health Center is to provide health care services of high value and promote health and wellness so that it is the provider of choice for area residents.
Vision
Its vision is to be chosen by area residents because of easily accessible customer-focused services delivered with a personal touch. Through collaboration with community, physician partners, and Aspirus, its services are recognized as being of superior value.
See also
References
Further reading
- Memorial Health Center History
- Medford Chamber of Commerce Medford Chamber of Commerce sites Memorial Health Center
- Hospital Data Hospital Profiles
- Health Grades
External links
Categories:- Hospitals in Wisconsin
- Taylor County, Wisconsin
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