---

Description

---

About Us
Indian River County and Vero Beach are centrally located on Floridas east coast Rightfully called the Treasure coast this area is rich in history natural resources and the benefits of the climate for which the Sunshine State is famous

Offshore the waters of the Gulf Stream ensure daytime temperatures that seldom drop below 70 degrees From the barrier islands 23 miles of golden beaches to the azure waters of the Indian and Sebastian Rivers and the lush farm and woodlands Indian River county is a place where people and businesses thrive and grow Visitors are welcomed year round

The Vero Beach community is socially and culturally active It supports the Riverside Theatre the Vero Beach Museum of Art and a wide range of clubs and organizations Lively concerts and numerous fairs are held on Ocean Drive in the downtown community center and in the many recreational parks A flutter of social events are held each season when winter residents return

Nearby Sebastian is a quaint town with its own social festivities The state park at Sebastian Inlet provides access to the Atlantic Ocean for offshore fishing and boating Facilities are located on the Indian River with opportunities for many water sports and the beaches are pristine

---

History

---

Celebrating 78 years of the right care right here

Indian River Medical Center has a long and interesting history dating back to 1932 It is difficult to imagine a time when Indian River County had no hospital at all but during the Great Depression the nearest hospital was 70 miles away via two lane roads that were not always paved

Garnett Lunsford Radin a 29yearold registered nurse and resourceful woman from Nebraska purchased a hotel on Old Dixie Highway with 22000 of her own money and opened the hospital with 21 beds on May 12 1932 The hospital staff worked under primitive conditions including an artesian well water system and one woodburning stove providing the buildings only heat Meals were carried in from an outdoor kitchen

With little money to keep the hospital afloat the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce stepped in leading an effort to create a nonprofit corporation and solicit contributions to keep the hospital open

In need of more space for patients construction began in 1951 on a new site in a residential area on 26th Street in Vero Beach The new 35bed facility opened in March 1952 as Indian River Memorial Hospital dedicated to the memory of those from Indian River County who gave their lives for freedom It became the nations smallest accredited hospital

In 1958 Governor Leroy Collins approved creation of a public hospital district and two years later it took control of the hospital management By 1967 the hospital had expanded to 164 beds and a larger facility was needed The current 128acre site located off of 37th Street between US 1 and Indian River Blvd was chosen because of its size and central location

After a 24year absence Mrs Radin returned and immediately went to work as planning coordinator responsible for the transition to the new facility The current facility opened on March 29 1978 with 216 beds

The hospital continued to grow and become more complex to operate A volunteer board could not provide the experienced business management needed to compete in the healthcare market In response to the changing market the Indian River County Hospital District Board of Trustees voted in 1984 to establish a community notforprofit corporation Indian River Memorial Hospital Inc and lease the hospital to that corporation for control of daytoday operations The transfer took place on May 1 1985

Since then the hospital has grown to include 335 private rooms More than 50000 people are seen each year in the new stateoftheart Emergency Department and The Heart Center affiliated with Duke University Health System opened in 2006 Also in late 2006 to reflect the transition from a good community hospital to a topquality medical center the hospital changed its name from Indian River Memorial Hospital to Indian River Medical Center