Bromenn Healthcare System

Description

For well over 100 years parts of the BroMenn Healthcare System have been touching the lives of those living in central Illinois While advances in technology have greatly changed how we treat conditions our personal attention to our patients has remained constant

BroMenn Healthcare Mission Vision amp Values
At the heart of the BroMenn Healthcare system is a spiritual commitment to serving people Beyond our broad range of services skilled staff technological advances and an exceptional level of community involvement we have dedicated all of our abilities to care for the health of the people we serve BroMenn focuses on our patients as individuals while also caring for the needs of their families and our community as a whole

Our Mission
The mission of the BroMenn Healthcare system is to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities by educating healing and serving in a manner consistent with our JudeoChristian heritage

Our Vision
BroMenn Healthcare System will clearly be the best regional integrated healthcare system serving Central Illinois distinguished by a reputation as a faithbased organization providing exceptional quality and personalized care

Our Values
BroMenn Values describe how BroMenn People make decisions and what they feel is important

I Care
Integrity Being honest and ethical
C ompassion Serving others in an empathetic and caring manner
A ccountability Taking responsibility
R espect Treating people and their faith with fairness dignity and understanding
Excellence Delivering superior quality and service

History

It is difficult to imagine a time when there were no cars televisions or airplanes To think back to when it cost only two cents to mail a letter And electricity was a luxury The turn of the century may have been a simpler time but it certainly was not easier Life expectancy was 52 years medicine was more art than science and hospitals were generally thought of as a place to die

This was the setting for BroMenn Healthcares beginnings In 1894 five local physicians each contributed 500 and began looking for a future hospital site to serve the areas evergrowing population An ideal spot was finally located on eight acres midway between Bloomington and Normal

quotDeaconess Hospitalquot officially opened May 8 1896 Within two years the hospital outgrew its capacity and a second building was begun In 1901 Abram Brokaw a wealthy plowmaker made a sizable contribution of 10000 and the hospital name was changed to Brokaw Hospital in his familys honor A Brokaw Hospital nursing school was also established

In 1901 Dr JW Wyatt purchased a large twostory home in the small Woodford County town of Eureka and remodeled it for use as his practice and residence Dr Robert Smith bought the house in 1914 and converted it into a hospital by closing in the open porches thus creating patient rooms on the second floor

In January 1919 several Mennonite Church leaders proposed a plan to establish another hospital and training school in Bloomington through the united work of all the Mennonite churches of central Illinois They purchased property in Bloomington for 10000

Within the first year the facility became overcrowded so Kelso Sanitarium at 807 North Main Street was purchased including the Kelso Training School The sanitarium was renamed Mennonite Hospital with the training school eventually becoming Mennonite School later quotCollegequot of Nursing

Over the years the hospitals have been courageous pioneers Brokaw was the first hospital in the area to have a CT scanner a hospitalbased chemical dependence unit psychiatric care cardiac rehabilitation neurosurgery birthing rooms and a separate pediatric unit

Mennonite Hospital debuted corneal transplants hospitalbased longterm care hospice adult day care wellness programs home health services pastoral education and counseling

The Mennonite Health Care Association bought Eureka Hospital in 1978 As the only hospital in Woodford County Eureka Hospital had added a new building to the original house in 1961 and benefited even more from its affiliation with Mennonite Its name changed to Eureka Community Hospital in 1984

BroMenn Healthcare Unveiled in 1984
With such innovation in common it was only natural that all three hospitals would eventually come together In July 1984 the hospitals proudly unveiled BroMenn Healthcare a new healthcare system that combined the resources of all

After a major expansion in 1991 Brokaw Hospital became BroMenn Regional Medical Center one of the most advanced medical centers in central Illinois Eureka Community Hospital had major expansions in 1986 and 1994 and today shines as a sterling example of a modern rural community hospital Mennonite became BroMenn Lifecare Center and functioned from 19911998 as a unique facility with services dedicated to enhancing quality of life The Mennonite Hospital building was vacated and sold in the late 90s and is now the corporate headquarters for the Electrolux Company worldrenowned manufacturer of vacuum cleaners and other products Mennonite College of Nursing became Illinois State Universitys sixth academic college in 1999 Brokaws nursing school had become part of Illinois Wesleyan University in 1962

Since the merger BroMenn has introduced many cuttingedge services to the community including clotbusting medications for stroke treatment a sleep disorders lab electrophysiology for irregular heartbeat a wound healing center new treatments for chronic pain stress echocardiograms routine newborn hearing tests and electron beam tomography for early detection of heart disease

In 1995 BroMenn Physicians Management Corporation BPMC was formed as a means of providing a more comprehensive healthcare delivery system BPMC is now composed of nine primary care offices and a behavioral health practice BPMC grew to encompass specialty practices as well Illinois Heart amp Lung Associates a physician practice specializing in cardiology pulmonology critical care and sleep medicine joined BPMC in 2006 and BroMenn Neurology Associates opened in 2007 The BroMenn Provider Network BPN was created in 1996 to maximize the managed care contracting capability of both BroMenn and the medical care providers who make up BPNs membership

It is exciting to imagine what the future will bring in health care BroMenn will always make this regions health its mission relying on faith technology education and the skills of so many to help keep the local quality of life high As their communities only locally governed hospitals the BroMenn System will continue to strive to bring health care of the highest standard to central Illinoiseducating the mind healing and comforting the body and serving with the spirit of compassion Thats the way its been for over one hundred years and the way it will be for the next hundred as well