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Description

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Meadville Medical Center is an outstanding community hospital located in Meadville Pennsylvania The hospital continually works to meet the communitys needs by maintaining up to date and stateoftheart facilities We are a leader in healthcare in northwestern Pennsylvania with the newest technology including the latest generation of ultrasound CT and MRI technology Our medical staff of over 100 consists of 37 medicalsurgical specialties with an extensive primary care foundation

MISSION STATEMENT
Meadville Medical Center will remain an independent community hospital responding to identified community healthcare needs in the Crawford County Region and providing the highest quality healthcare services to all patients regardless of ability to pay

VISION STATEMENT
Our vision is to continually exceed the expectations of those we serve by working together as a team dedicated to a process of neverending improvement

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History

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HISTORY OF MEADVILLE MEDICAL CENTER
Following a serious train wreck on the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad in 1869 the injured were taken to St Joseph Convent converting it temporally into a hospital This train wreck dramatically proved the need for a hospital to the citizens of Meadville St Josephs Hospital with 12 beds and a staff of Mother Agnes and 7 other nuns was built one year later adjoining the Convent on Grove Street Dr Theodore Lashells the railroad surgeon was appointed the hospitals physician and surgeon and held this position for 36 years This was the first hospital in Northwestern Pennsylvania

Within a year of its founding it was clear that 12 beds were not enough to adequately care for its patients An addition was added to the hospital which doubled the bed space and three Sisters were added to the staff

Just ten years later Mrs Edward Northam and Mrs Sarah Stewart organized a public meeting in June 1880 with the leading citizens of Meadville They wasted no time in electing an executive body to take further steps in the establishment of a second hospital in Meadville for the care of the destitute sick and elderly On July 2 1880 some 50 men and women met to formally incorporate the Meadville City Hospital It was located in a twostory frame building on Randolph Street at the foot of Highland Avenue

By May 1888 at least 1000 persons had been treated at St Josephs Hospital Despite the large number of persons treated the Sisters could not finance all of the hospitals operation So a decision was made to lease the hospital to the Board of Trustees representing the community of Meadville and then request an appropriation from the State Edgar Heidekoper was elected president of the original Board of Trustees a position he held for 40 years St Josephs Hospital became Spencer Hospital in honor of Mother Agnes Spencer

Under the supervision of Sister Emilena Spencer Hospital began construction on a new two story annex to the hospital which was opened in May 1891 Some of the modern conveniences included in the annex were gas piping a central furnace an electric call bell system and an electric elevator A pharmacy and surgery room were also added

During the same years across town Meadville City Hospital was finding that expansion of its building was an immediate necessity In 1885 the modernday Liberty Street site was chosen as the new location for the expanded City Hospital building On December 20 1887 the building was completed

To meet the desperate need for trained nurses Meadville City Hospital opened a training school for nurses in 1888 and Spencer Hospital opened its School of Nursing in 1902

The 1900s Progressive Years

The 1900s were progressive years for the city of Meadville and its hospitals The first xray machine ever to be used in Northwestern Pennsylvania was imported from England and donated to Spencer Hospital in 1900 Another addition was completed in 1905 which increased Spencer Hospitals bed capacity to 45 In 1908 a new steam laundry was attached to rear of the convent to provide processing of both hospital and convent linens

In 1905 the Meadville City Hospital Maternity Pavilion opened in a two story brick building located on Kennedy Street The Pavilion featured a sun parlor doctors offices an elevator and beds for 15 patients

The use of both hospitals continued to increase The annual census of City Hospital in 1911 was 460 compared to 328 in 1910 Births jumped by 160 from 46 in 1910 to 74 in 1911 Spencer Hospital was treating about 500 patients a year of whom it was reported half were treated free By 1919 Spencer Hospitals average daily census of patients was 31

After World War I

Spencer Hospital building By January 1926 Spencer reopened its doors in a new 75bed brick and steel structure In 1928 the Spencer Hospital Auxiliary was organized In 1931 a new addition was added providing an obstetrical and pediatrics department and a large Assembly Hall New services were offered by Spencer on an outpatient basis for the first time that included a wellbaby clinic a mental health clinic and prenatal and cancer clinics Many of these services were offered free of charge to patients

A new east wing was officially opened at Meadville City Hospital in 1930 which increased the hospitals bed capacity from 62 to 75 beds with space for additional 25 beds when needed The City Hospital volunteer group began in 1933

World War II and Astounding Advancements in Medical Knowledge

The 1940s brought World War II to the United States and an increase in medical knowledge that astounded the world Against this background Meadvilles two hospitals again found expansion to their facilities and services necessary City Hospital added a south wing in 1942 increasing total number of beds to 150 This addition housed the Emergency Room and Maternity Department Spencer Hospital offered a new tumor clinic in 1941 directed by HC Winslow MD who provided the radium used in treatment Both hospitals continued to add new equipment as technology advanced rapidly

City Hospital improved and modernized its existing physical plant beginning with the opening of the areas first postoperative recovery room in 1953 The first Intensive Care Unit in this part of Pennsylvania also opened at City Hospital in 1959

Spencer Hospitals new nursing education building was completed in 1952 By 1957 an addition to the hospital provided for expansion of the lab kitchen and enlarged the Xray area to include radioisotope equipment The bed capacity at Spencer was now 140