Blount Memorial Hospital

Description

VISION
A community where all individuals reach their highest potential for health

MISSION
To continuously improve the health and wellbeing of our entire community and to work in partnership with others who share the core values of Blount Memorial Hospital

VALUES
Hospitality Excellence Advocacy Leadership and Stewardship

History

History
Our Community Builds a Hospital

Blount Memorial Hospital was founded in 1947 through the efforts of local physicians the county court interested citizens and the Aluminum Company of America ALCOA The hospital was named in honor of Blount Countians who have died in the line of duty those missing in action and those who served and continue to serve our country

The Community Connection
Blount Memorial was built by the people of Blount County for the people of Blount County Ordinary hardworking folks made our community hospital a reality A federal grant initiated the hospital building project but the community doubled that amount to complete construction Since no money remained to build sidewalks driveways or a parking lot local workers and business owners donated the labor and materials necessary to finish the work

Opening Day
The doors opened at Blount Memorial on July 24 1947 and the community showed up to help move the furniture offices beds and patients from an old hospital building to the new one

Looking Back Blount Memorials Milestones

April 1942
Judge George D Roberts appoints a threeperson committee himself Joe C Gamble and AD Huddleston to investigate the feasibility of building a publiclyowned hospital in Blount County

May 1944
The Federal Security Agency US Public Health Service New Orleans La approves building a 50bed hospital in Blount County This would be the first county hospital in the state of Tennessee

May 1 1945
The Federal Works Agency agrees to finance 50 percent or 201500 of the estimated 403000 needed to build the hospital In the following weeks the community raised 200000 including a 100000 donation from ALCOA that included a days pay given by every worker

May 15 1945
A 14acre site including a 15room house is purchased from Dr and Mrs Hussey for 18000 The sale is negotiated thanks to the perseverance of AD Huddleston In addition Maryville College donated 675 acres of land fronting Walland Highway

Dec 1 1945
Construction of the hospital begins

May 1947
More than 100 employees of Harrison Construction Company donate weekend time to build roads sidewalks and parking spaces for the new hospital Equipment fuel and materials are donated by the construction company

July 13 1947
More than 6000 people attend the hospitals dedication service and community open house

July 24 1947
On moving day local furniture dealers led by Leon Teffeteller provide the use of their trucks all day and deliver the last load of furniture around 8 pm An ambulance moves 40 patients into the new hospital and six new patients are admitted The first registered patient at Blount Memorial was a maternity patient and the first day of service included three operations two emergencies and the delivery of baby boy Richard Brown

1948
The Blount Memorial Auxiliary the hospitals volunteer organization is established

April 1948
Less than a year after the hospital opened the campaign begins to build a new wing to meet the demand for beds and rooms

May 30 1948
A Memorial Day service is held at the hospital in conjunction with placing the cornerstone for the new wing

May 30 1950
The addition of the 70bed east wing more than doubles the size of the original hospital

1951
The first thoracic surgery is performed at the hospital

May 7 1954
Blount Memorial is approved for accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations JCAHO

1957
A new 90bed addition brings the hospitals capacity to 210 beds

Oct 7 1963
The Blount Memorial laboratory becomes the first hospital laboratory in Tennessee and among the first 14 in the nation to be accredited by the College of American Pathologists

July 25 1967
The hospital establishes a coronary care unit

1968
Blount Memorial establishes a practical nursing school to upgrade the knowledge and skills of nursing technicians employed by the hospital

1970
A physical therapy department is established in the hospital

1971
The hospital purchases its first computer

1972
Dedication of the 45 million AD Huddleston Wing increases hospital capacity to 334 beds and the first total hip replacement surgery is performed

Sept 25 1973
Blount Memorial launches a diabetic instruction program

1974
The first total knee is replaced at the hospital

1976
The hospital installs its first computerized pharmacy system

1978
A general psychiatric unit is established in the hospital

1980
The hospitals cardiopulmonary department begins a decade of dramatic service expansion in cardiology respiratory care vascular and neurodiagnostic services

1981
Through a grant from the Jonsson family the hospital establishes hospice services Additionally the hospital added wellness programs

1982
The hospital opens a sameday surgery center and respiratory services first are available

Jan 26 1982
A vascular diagnostic lab is opened

Oct 8 1982
CONCERN is introduced as Blount Memorials employee assistance program

October 1982
The hospital purchases the SHARE occupational health program to help area companies plan more efficient health care by providing onsite registered nurses

August 1983
The City of Alcoa becomes the first client to contract with Blount Memorial for occupational health onsite nursing services

July 15 1984
The hospital opens a new main wing

1985
Joseph M Dawson becomes the hospitals sixth administrator

December 1988
The first cardiac catheterization lab opens in the radiology department

1989
Blount Memorial becomes licensed to provide home health services and mobile lithotripsy services become available Also a new outpatient entrance opens and the Blount Memorial Foundation is established to generate funds to improve and advance medical care provided by the hospital

September 1990
The Blount Memorial Foundation holds its first golf tournament to benefit Foundation projects

1991
The hospital is designated a level III trauma center and a helicopter pad is installed to meet state guidelines Additionally the radiology department adds a magnetic resonance imaging MRI tool and the hospital experiences a boom of personal computers and systems

July 1991
The hospital opens its first occupational medicine physicianstaffed clinic in Maryville

1992
The emergency department is established as a Safe Place an outpatient rehabilitation center opens in the Medical Arts Building the employee count tops 1000 payroll reaches 22 million the paperless imaging of medical records begins and a barcoding system is adopted for inventory control

1993
The hospital receives the elite Governors Excellence Award recognizing improvements in quality technology and productivity

November 1993
The Medical Fitness program is established to provide a medically supervised exercise program for patients with limited exercise capacity

1994
The Medical Arts Building is completed a new James N Proffitt Center for Surgical Medicine and intensive care unit open on the hospitals second floor home infusion services are added to pharmacy offerings a new slip ring CT scanner is added in radiology and Joint School a preoperative education class for total joint replacement patients begins

1995
The Emotional Health amp Recovery Center integrates the Emotional Health and Mountain View Recovery centers into a center offering inpatient partial hospital and outpatient services

Sept 26 1995
The hospital local providers and physicians partner to create the Highlands Health Partnership designing community health plans at a preferred price

1996
The emergency department goes online with document imaging viewing stations the first Cancer Survivors Day celebration is held and the coronary stent procedure first is offered Additionally in December the hospital partners with the Chamber of Commerce to form the Blount County Community Health Initiative CHI

1997
The Blount Memorial Health Center at Springbrook opens the Family Birthing Center is renovated and the Good Samaritan Clinic is established to serve the uninsured and medically underserved The Foundation creates the Garden of Life and also hosts its inaugural Distinguished Service Awards honoring Dr WC Crowder Joe Gamble Dr Robert Haralson Jr AD Huddleston and Dr James N Proffitt A new cardiac catheterization system digital fluoroscopy room and special procedures room also are added

July 24 1997
Blount Memorial Hospital is rededicated during the hospitals 50th anniversary celebration

1998
The hospital partners with area physicians and the ASC Group to build the 25 million Maryville Surgical Center

1999
A pharmacy robot that stocks medications and fills orders is installed Home Services licensure expands to include Monroe Loudon Knox and Sevier counties the first Valentine Gala of the Foundation is held and a parish nurse program is established

2000
The Blount Memorial Health Center at Tellico West opens in Vonore bringing occupational health outpatient rehabilitation and home services to residents of Monroe County in one location Additionally the hospital develops the first palliative care consult service symptom care team in the region and Senior Services is established

2001
Blount Memorials senior community MorningView Village opens as does Home Equipment Services and EASE Elder Assessment Service

November 2001
Work begins on the Blount Memorial Transitional Care Center at MorningView

2002
Occupational therapy is added to rehabilitation offerings the hospitals Web site is launched a health information center is opened at the Blount County Public Library and the first bariatric surgery is performed

2003
Blount Memorials 320space parking garage opens rehabilitation expands to include speechlanguage pathology and the Transitional Care Center at MorningView Village opens Also a palliative care department is created and the Foundation conducts its firstever employee giving campaign netting more than 448000 Additionally the hospital experiences more than 10000 annual admissions and the pharmacy starts an anticoagulation Coumadin Clinic

2004
The employee couont tops 2000 with a payroll of 67 million pediatric rehabilitation is offered and a partnership with Lincoln Memorial University provides a nursing associates degree program consolidating nursing education programs at the Joan M Jackson Health Career Center in Alcoa A physician portal and Parkway Psychiatric Service also are created

2005
A barcode medication administration system is implemented CONCERN expands to offering outpatient counseling services and a new outpatient diagnostic center opens at the Health Center at Springbrook

Aug 28 2005
More than 500 community members attend the grandopening festivities of the Blount Memorial Cancer Center outpatient entrance medical library and chapel Additionally an emergency department renovation and expansion is completed increasing capacity from 18 to 27 beds

2006
The Cancer Center holds its first overnight retreat for female cancer patients the Breast Health Center opens in a new location with digital mammography capabilities a forcedair warming system is introduced the Foundation holds a tennis fundraiser with pros John McEnroe and James Blake the Center for Sleep Medicine a partnership with East Tennessee Medical Group opens a pharmacy residency program is introduced the Atrium Cafe opens and the hospice program celebrates 25 years of service

2007
The first MorningView Village Senior Community resident celebrates a 100th birthday the first EKG is transmitted from a RuralMetro Ambulance in the field a computerized tracking system and patient record is installed in the emergency department the hospital is awarded the Energy Star award for energy consumption efforts the Good Samaritan Clinic celebrates a 10th anniversary an alldigital PACS system is added the Wellness Center at Springbrook hosts the first 10K runwalk and the hospital introduces wireless internet for patients and visitors

July 23 2007
The Blount Memorial Auxiliary surpasses 1 million volunteer hours

July 24 2007
The hospital celebrates its 60th anniversary