St Francis Hosp & Hlth Servs

Description

About us
St Francis Hospital amp Health Services is a fullservice fullyaccredited health care organization located in Maryville Missouri Our tradition of providing quality compassionate medical care to the residents of Northwest Missouri began in 1894 and has continued for more than 100 years Today our legacy continues under the umbrella of SSM Health Care who is our corporate parent and the sponsorship of the Franciscan Sisters of Mary St Francis Hospital amp Health Services continues its commitment as first instituted by its Foundress Mother Augustine Giesen to turn no one away We pledge to treat all patients without regard to race color religion national origin handicap age or ability to pay

As a rural hospital we provide emergency treatment acute care for patients with medical and surgical diagnosis mental health illnesses and obstetrical needs Patients are our number one customer with other stakeholders being patients families physicians employees community and payors

Nodaway County is our primary service area The population of this area is approximately 20000 We also draw patients from our secondary service area of the surrounding rural counties of Andrew Atchison Holt Gentry and Worth Missouri and Taylor Iowa

Administration and staff continually attempt to understand how St Francis can maintain the quality and integrity of its programs while looking for areas of improvement and growth within its financial resources

Mission and Values
Mission
Through our exceptional health care services we reveal the healing presence of God

Values
Inspired by our founding religious sisters we value the sacredness and dignity of each person Therefore we find these five values consistent with our heritage and ministry

Compassion
We reach out with openness kindness and concern

Respect
We honor the wonder of the human spirit

Excellence
We expect the best of ourselves and one another

Stewardship
We use our resources responsibly

Community
We cultivate relationships that inspire us to serve

History

In March of 1894 Mother Augustine Giesen and four companion sisters arrived in Maryville Missouri with a mission to care for the sick On March 28 Mother Augustine and Sister Salesia Schlegel purchased a house and three acres of land adjacent to St Marys Catholic Church now St Gregorys Catholic Church in Maryville for 2000

This house was moved and remodeled for use as a hospital and convent and is where the sisters began homenursing On September 8 this 12bed St Francis Hospital then called St Joseph Hospital was formally opened however the first patient Thomas Kidney had been admitted on September 1

One year later on March 15 1895 architect John Walsh of Kansas City was hired to draw plans for a new hospital Land was purchased for this hospital on March 18 and a contract was signed on April 9 with contractor W A Bailey to build the hospital

On November 26 1895 the new hospital was dedicated and occupied The medical staff was eight in number Charges per week were from 5 to 12 and from 1 to 2 per day according to location size and furnishings of the room

An 1899 hospital report shows that of 140 patients treated only 30 paid in full 49 partially paid and 61 were treated free St Francis Hospital prospered even with nearly onehalf of the patients being treated at no charge

By 1898 the building was already too small to meet the demands for new services the increasing patient load and the growing community of sisters A contract was drawn in 1900 for the addition of 17 rooms and a new chapel The addition was complete and dedicated ion August 28 1901 And just three years later the decision was made to build a second addition of 21 rooms to the hospital for quotold people and childrenquot

On March 10 1903 the first baby Mary Francis Baldwin was born in the hospital

In 1905 a steam laundry was installed at the cost of 1000 Up until this time all the washing was done in tubs scrubbed on a wash board and boiled on the stove

The first hospital the renovated convent was later sold to St Marys Catholic Church for use as a school

In 1910 and 1911 lightning rods and fire escapes were added to the building and an electric elevator was installed

In 1912 St Francis Training School for Nurses was opened for the education of the Sisters of St Francis

The hospital overflowed with patients from a deadly flu epidemic during late 1918 and early 1919 Only the sickest were admitted

On June 25 1919 it was decided to build a third addition to the hospital that would be quotcompletely fireproofquot The new addition which was begun April 21 1920 was completed at a cost of 165000 The new building was built with reinforced concrete and was a fireproof brick structure The building was three stories high and included 20 patient rooms a new surgery room xray and laboratory with advanced equipment The old building was also remodeled at this time Most of the rooms were furnished by many local donors

In 1922 St Francis Hospital fully accredited by the American College of Surgeons was recognized as one of the quotcleanest and best equipped institutions in Missouriquot and was the only hospital north of the Missouri River to receive this accreditation

In 1923 the dietary department was completely remodeled with an electrical refrigeration system and ice maker

In November 1928 a decision was made to remodel the existing building and to build a new chapel and classrooms and 11 moths later the new chapel was dedicated

There were no major expansions during the depression years 193034 because resources and space were strained to the utmost It is recorded that an increasing number of patients were able to pay all or at least part of their hospital bills However the hospital rates were as low as possible in the 1930s It is estimated that the average patient stay was in excess of 14 days for medical and surgical patients and 10 days for obstetrical patients

Flexotile covering was applied to the old worn wooden floors in patient rooms in 1937 and 1938 and the dietary department was remodeled again in 1939

Mother Augustine Giesen resigned as Superior General of the congregation after having been head of the order for 49 years Mother Lucia Kelley became the new Superior General

A water cooling system was installed in 1944 to provide cold drinking water throughout the building In 1946 the laboratory was enlarged to include a plasma bank and more space for pathological examinations
Mount Alverno Convent was built in 1949 and all of the sisters except those staffing the hospital moved from the hospital to the convent The vacated space was used to expand the business office and childrens department

On February 25 1950 emergency lighting equipment was installed in case of power failure The dietary department was completely remodeled and equipped including a new electric elevator

In 1955 the Hospital Guild original name of the St Francis Hospital Auxiliary was formed with the purpose to raise funds for new equipment and hospital improvements In 1959 the Guild purchased a whirlpool and electrocardiography machine for the hospital

In 195657 the hospital received 33400 from the Ford Foundation that was used to purchase an xray table a furnace surgery renovations a new ambulance entrance an ultrasound machine an otoscope and an automatic sprinkler system for the entire building

Also in 1957 a physical therapy department was furnished and equipped through donations

The sisters received a donation in 1956 of 20 acres on Highway 71 as a location for a new hospital An architect was hired to draw up plans for a 100bed hospital and a community fund drive began to raise a portion of the estimated cost of the building This fund drive was headed up by community leaders who raised 450000

The remainder of the project was funded through a government grant and loans

The community and the sisters were elated when the fund drive was complete quotOctober 4 1965 was indeed an historic day Pope Paul VI visited the United States and St Francis Hospital fund drive reached its goalquot both on the Feast of St Francis patron of the hospital and of the community of the Sisters of St Francis

In September 1965 Edward DeMeulenaere assumed the responsibilities of the first lay administrator of St Francis Hospital

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new hospital was held on May 27 1968 and the new hospital was dedicated on April 12 1970 More than 1000 citizens attended the dedication open house and more than 7000 attended the open house to tour the new facility Patients were transferred to the new hospital on April 18

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for a longterm care facility in March of 1970 A federal HillBurton grant was used to pay for the project as well as donations from the community This longterm care facility which was the north wing of the hospital opened on March 12 1972

Also in 1970 the medical building for doctor offices was built adjacent to the hospital

The County Ambulance District was developed from 1974 to 1975 and was based behind the hospital The St Francis Hospital Foundation was established in 1977 with the purpose of raising funds for equipment and programs for the hospital The Home Health Department began operation in 1978

Also in the last 1970s new diagnostic equipment was installed including