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Description

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Memorial Healthcare is a 154bed facility with a medical staff of over 170 and over 1000 employees We are a notforprofit hospital governed by an independent Board of Trustees We are the ONLY hospital in Shiawassee County serving a population of approximately 105000

With satellite offices located throughout Shiawassee County Memorial Healthcare continues to reach out to our patients in order to provide the very best in health care services The Center serves all of Shiawassee County and several surrounding counties including Saginaw Clinton Ingham and Genesee

Each year we care for over 25000 emergency patients 196000 additional outpatients and over 4600 inpatients Memorial Healthcare physicians and staff work together with people in the community to update current services and create new and expanded services

The main campus of the Center is situated on 26 acres and houses 221000 square feet of patient floors and ancilliary services situated along the Shiawassee River in historic Owosso

Working Together Friendly neighborhoods Good schools Strong family ties These are just a few of the things that make this area a great place to live and work Memorial Healthcare feels fortunate to be a part of it offering a positive impact on the quality of life in your community

Mission Vision Values
Expert Care Hometown Caring

Mission
To promote health and provide quality compassionate healthcare in our region through a commitment to service excellence teamwork and innovation

Vision
To be recognized as a national model for excellence in personalized healthcare

Core Values amp Guiding Principles

Excellence

Strive to achieve the best in everything we do Never stop learning and working to improve our skills programs and services Provide consistent quality and safety for patients and caregivers

Integrity

Inspiring trust through open communications and be consistent in doing what we say we will do

Service

Provide personalized compassionate care to each person we are privileged to serve No matter where in the organization we work we remember always that caring for the individual patient and hisher family is at the heart of our mission

Innovation

Seek new approaches in service and the delivery of care with vitality and enthusiasm Empower employees to act in ways consistent with the vision

Teamwork

We recognize that we can only achieve our mission and vision by working together We as servant leaders value those who work collaboratively to achieve organizational excellence and superior patient experiences

Wisdom

Integrating excellence with financial stewardship

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History

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Over 80 Years Ago a Splendid Monument to Those Who Served in War was Completed a Beautiful Memorial Hospital Erected by the Grateful People of Shiawassee County

Imposing in Appearance Complete in Every Detail Structure Combines Useful with the Beautiful

On May 1 in 1921 Memorial Hospital was officially opened Imposing in appearance complete in every detail and equipped to the minute as near fireproof as human mind and hand could make it built for service This was the description used to portray the new 210000 structure erected in memory of Shiawassee county soldiers sailors marines and nurses who served their country during the world war No finer monument to those who served could be conceived knowing that it would stand for decades to come a constant reminder of the services and sacrifices of those heroes At the same time the hospital would render real service to humanity honoring those who fought and died for others

It is with great pride that Memorial Healthcare celebrates 89 years of dedicated caring to residents of Shiawassee County and beyond We believe that the description of the original structure still holds true today and that the dedication of the original board of trustees womens auxiliary and the residents of the county has endured throughout the years True to the hospital mission Memorial strives to promote health and provide quality compassionate healthcare in our region through commitment to service excellence teamwork and innovation

Memorial Healthcare serves over 100000 residents in the greater Shiawassee County region by providing high quality services not only at the main hospital but through its many satellite locations in Chesaning Durand Perry Laingsburg Ovid Elsie and Corunna Memorial has a medical staff of over 170 representing 34 different medical specialties and is the largest employer in Shiawassee County with over 1000 employees Annually Memorial treats over 25000 emergency room patients and countless outpatient visits are handled each and every day

History of Memorial Hospital

Dream of Years Became Reality

A decade of effort was crowned with success with the completion of Memorial Hospital in 1921 When the doors opened to the public for the first time the dream of Owosso and Shiawassee county people that had endured for years became reality For the last decade the need for a modern hospital had been apparent and each year increased the urgency of that need Those interested and this means the entire population dreamed of a time when the county would have a hospital adequate to her needs and which would also be a credit to the county itself

Early in 1908 the first definite step was taken by the Visiting Nurse Association toward the attainment of a goal to build a new hospital The women hosted a tag day to raise what was to become the nucleus of the fund that built the new hospital in later years No one now remembers how much was raised that day but the association turned over 600 in 1921 to the hospital trustees for which to furnish one room in the new hospital

In 1912 the need for a hospital was first discussed by the Chamber of Commerce then known as the Improvement Association and a bill was introduced making it possible for boards of supervisors to be petitioned to submit to the people of the county the question of building and maintaining a hospital by tax Unfortunately this bill did not carry through In 1915 the subject was again agitated and plans and specifications were prepared for a 30bed hospital but this plan also failed

Time went on without much more being done than to talk of the need of such an institution In 1916 Miss Bertha Bowman who had purchased the Miller hospital announced plans to erect a new structure on the site of the old hospital However at about the same time the doctors of the city started a movement to build a similar institution and Miss Bowman abandoned her plans and closed her hospital Then in 1917 a committee from the Improvement Association met in the Masonic Temple with physicians of the county and 20000 was subscribed and an option secured on the Dudley property at Water and Oliver Streets However Mr D M Christian desired that property as a residence and offered the association 500 more for their option and declared his willingness to subscribe 3000 toward building a new hospital He was better than his word for when funds were being raised he doubled this figure The physicians let him have the property and sought a site elsewhere

Soon afterward our country entered the war and the hospital project was given up until hostilities ceased The government needed all the doctors it could get and it needed all the hospital equipment available It was no time to build private hospitals

Memorial Project Launched

With the war over and the service men returning in 1919 the project was revitalized The question of the form of memorial to be erected to these men came up and sentiment was unanimous that no finer monument to them could be erected than a hospital honoring them Further meetings throughout the end of April resulted in an exhaustive report detailing all phases of the hospital situation including the need the location size and cost The report ended in a recommendation that 150000 be raised and a modern hospital of 50 or 60 bed capacity be built

Permanent Hospital Committee Formed

The original committee members heading the hospital effort ultimately became the Permanent Hospital Committee These members included C P Bentley C E Rigley Jr J F Field Fred B Woodard Fred Welch J E Ellis D M Christian J C Mulaney W F Gallagher and J H Robbins Mr Rigley later resigned and his father C E Rigley Sr succeeded him

The committee immediately began work Architects were consulted and tentative plans for building and estimates of the cost secured S D Butterworth Lansing Architect who had drawn plans for several buildings in Owosso was called into conference with the committee and later visited several cities including Chicago and Detroit looking over the newest hospitals His plans were the basis on which Memorial Hospital was built

In May 1919 the work of organizing the drive for funds was started by Mr Cornelius Loder Mr Loders work resulted in a thorough organization of the women of the entire county into an auxiliary that has been a most important factor in the hospital work ever since

The Funds are Raised

The drive for funds went over with astounding success The county Red Cross turned over 25000 left over from funds raised during the war Another large contribution came from the county the board of supervisors appropriating 36000 to be paid in two installments Smaller contributions came from other sources nearly everyone giving something and the campaign ended The success being 167000 pledged

A Site is Chosen

Meanwhile committee members had been searching for a site best adapted to hospital purposes In April 1919 Fred Welch realizing the desirability of the West King Street site where the building now stands secured an option on 11 acres belonging to the Beckwith Estate Fred Hartshorn then purchased the option and presented the property to the hospital board in memory of his father the late A E Hartshorn

Shortly thereafter the late E O Dewey informed the board that the heirs of the Williams Estate had deeded to the board two and onehalf acres of what was then known as the King Street Woods and which adjoined the site chosen for the new hospital With the site chosen the plans drawn and the monies subscribed plans were let in March 1920 The general contract went to C H Maliskey and son Walter of this city Ground was broken as soon as the frost left the ground approximately one year before the hospital officially opened its doors a year later

The New Hospital

The building was 200 feet long by 50 feet wide four stories high and had a minimum of 60 beds with three operating rooms It was built along the most modern lines of hospital architecture and was built to ensure future additions could be made as necessary The contractors used light sand brick trimmed with manufactured stone on the exterior The floors were of terraza and the woodwork was all white except the doors which were a beautiful walnut veneer The floors of the corridors were of cork one half inch thick rendering them virtually noiseless Every room was an outside room making it light and airy within As one entered the front doors a vestibule of Italian marble greeted the visitor All departments of the hospital were a marvel of completeness Absolutely nothing that would alleviate the suffering and restoring of health was omitted In addition to the three operating rooms the new hospital was also equipped with an xray room laboratory and a sterilizing room