History

In the Beginning....

1879: The State Hospital For Injured Persons of the Anthracite Coal Region became a reality as a result of the efforts of State Legislator John T. Shoener of Orwigsburg. Legislative Act No. 169 was approved on June 11, 1879, providing for the purchase of a tract of land and construction of the hospital.

1880: (May 14) Work on the construction of the hospital began. The construction was completed in early 1882. The ‘main’ building included several wards, the Administrative Wing, Operating Rooms, a laundry and a stable.

1883: (Nov. 12) The hospital opened, only accepting injured miners, railroad workers and textile workers, in that order, as patients. The Hospital did not admit women or non-injured patients until early in the twentieth century.

1883: (Nov 14) The 1st patient was admitted. His name was John Lucas (Shenandoah), a miner injured at the Kohinoor Colliery. Within a year, 313 miners were treated at the Hospital, with a daily average of 75 patients. The number requesting admission far outweighed the bed capacity. Only the critically injured were therefore admitted to the Hospital. In addition, Dr. J. C. Biddle (First Chief of Staff) treated several hundred men and boys for less serious injuries in the “Out of Doors” Department.

1884: First Board Report - it was apparent the Hospital was cold, overcrowded, and lacking in the sanitary conditions needed to treat the injured workers. These problems are listed in the reports throughout the history of the “Miners’ Hospital,” as the Hospital became known after 1904. Before the Hospital was opened, injured miners were transported to their homes to recover or die, or given a pass on the train to go to the Philadelphia hospitals for treatment.

1884: (June) a portion of the grounds was fenced off for a burial place for patients who expired and whose bodies went unclaimed.

1887: a telegraph instrument was placed in the Hospital by Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company.

1889: “Rules and Regulations Adopted” “Patients are not allowed profane or indecent language, or to gamble on pain of immediate expulsion; no smoking in wards or buildings, except in rooms designated for the purpose; no liquors, provisions or medications of any kind shall be furnished to patients by their friends.”

1890/1891: (Sept to Sept) Patients who were able were required to give assistance in nursing or other light duties when requested by the Superintendent. The lack of good mining safety standards at the end of the 19th century kept the hospital filled over capacity. The original 56 beds were increased to90 and as many as 110 patients were cared for at one time. 1414 patients were treated and 567 operations were performed. At this time plans were instituted to provide the patients with hot meals.

Overcrowding was not the only problem at the Hospital during its early years. The building’s radiators and four open fire places in the wards were of little help in the rugged winters. The thermometers often registered 35 to 40 degrees. But despite all the difficulties and primitive conditions, the Hospital flourished and proved its value in the saving of hundreds of lives and limbs.

1890 - 1894: Construction of two new buildings was begun and completed in 1894. One building contained a new modern wing with an operating room and a dining room for convalescent patients, along with the dormitories for the female nurses on the second floor. The second building was a free-standing building which housed the male employees.

1892: The Hospital kept its own horses and ambulance for the speedy transfer from colliery to hospital. The Board asked for the formation of an “Ambulance Society” to be formed by the miners, colliery and railroad officials. The transportation for the injured would be facilitated and men instructed in “first aid” could control hemorrhage and give emergency treatment during the trip to the hospital.

1894: A new era dawned, when after many years of pleading by the Chief of Surgery, four female nurses were introduced at the facility. Dr. Biddle said, “The substitution of gentle, refined and reliable trained women nurses for the rough, untrained, irresponsible, and unreliable men whom we were formerly compelled to accept as nurses, has been a great benefit. The behavior of the patients is better, the discipline and order of all employees is improved. Perfect cleanliness is a matter of course. Most important of all, the wounded and the sick are ministered to with intelligent, educated, thoughtfulness and care; and the skill of the surgeon is supplemented by the watchfulness and knowledge of the trained nurse.’

1894: (July 1) Dr. Biddle again triumphed when he was able to convince the State Legislature to open a School of Nursing at the Hospital. Classes begun under the first Director of Nursing, Minnie Trout, a graduate of Presbyterian Training School of Philadelphia. The first class consisted of 7 students chosen from among 25 applicants. The program was initially for a period of 18 months, but was quickly expanded to 2 years, and finally to 3 years to keep up with the rapid advances in the science of medicine, especially nursing care. Much of the students’ education came from direct nursing care with the patients under the watchful eyes of the Surgeon in Chief and the Director of Nursing. Formal classes were held only two or three times a week.

1894 - 1981: The Ashland State General Hospital School of Nursing graduated 1302 students.

1896: (Dec 1) The first class of 7 nurses graduated. The ceremonies took place in the Ashland Opera House and dignitaries from the coal companies, politicians, and noted medical men arrived by trains furnished by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company.

1904: Further construction at the Hospital - a children’s ward and a ward exclusively for the treatment of burns were completed.

1905: A three-story addition to the nurses’ residence was completed containing 20 single rooms, 3 bathrooms, and a library. This enabled the acceptance of a larger number of student nurses.

1921: A four-story addition was built to accommodate the growing needs of the Hospital. The new wing (the Biddle Wing) provided a Dispensary, X-Ray Department, and a Laboratory on the first floor; a large surgical ward and offices on the second floor; and private rooms and an obstetrical department on the third and fourth floors. Included on the fourth floor was a “special diet” kitchen where the meals for patients with diabetes, hypertension and other conditions requiring food restrictions were prepared. Two hundred thousand dollars was raised by the people of the area, in order to erect the building.

1941- 45: WWII - Ashland Hospital and School of Nursing played a significant part in the second World War. The Hospital was notified to increase enrollment to meet the anticipated need for nurses.

1942: (Mar) The American Red Cross began Nurses’ Aid courses with 15 applicants. In May of 1942 the class completed the course, students received their caps and were required to serve 150 hours doing hospital work. The majority of these women were seen in their pink and white uniforms long after the required hours were completed and proved to be a valuable asset to the understaffed Hospital nurses.

1961: (Nov. 29) The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare announced a 6.1 million dollar, 200-bed hospital building will be built on the grounds of the present institution as a result of legislation signed by Governor David Lawrence.

1964: (April 22) groundbreaking ceremonies took place. The actual construction caused many difficulties since the old Hospital remained in operation during this time, but as the new structure was rising, the difficulties were gradually tolerated by patients, visitors and staff. Everyone waited anxiously for the move to this modern building.

1967: (May 2) the NEW Hospital was dedicated by Governor Raymond Shafer. Eight ambulances from Schuylkill, Northumberland and Columbia counties lined up at various exits of the old building ready to transfer patients. All physicians, nurses and ancillary staff were present. A total of 108 patients were transferred to the new building in one hour and forty five minutes. Each patient was examined by a physician before the transfer and again upon arrival at his assigned bed in the new Hospital.

1967: Demolition of the old buildings began.

1974: (Oct.) a heliport was placed in service and many critically injured or ill patients have been transferred by helicopter to distant medical centers for special treatment.

1985: Divestiture was first announced (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) but never came to fruition until 1992.

1992: (Feb 15) ARMC becomes a reality - PA 21 was hired to manage the facility.

1993: Major renovations were made to first floor of medical center – a remodeled emergency room; Diagnostic Imaging Dept. and a new CT Scanner was added.

1996: (June) Commonwealth Health replaces PA 21.

1998: (Sept) Congressman Tim Holden presents HCFA check to ARMC for 2.2M helping to keep the doors open and serving patients in the tri-county region.

2000: (Fall) Major renovations to 4 and 5 floors were initiated - @11M project (2 years in the planning).

2001: March 31, ARMC Files for bankruptcy protection

2001: August 15, ARMC purchased by Province Healthcare, Inc. Brentwood Tennessee.

2002: (winter) Gary Rhoads hired as the first CEO, Gerry Egan, CFO and Cindy Gorr, CNO

2002: (August 15) Renovation of the 4th and 5th floors was completed.

2003: April 25 ARMC welcomes new CEO, David R. Sirk and 3 new family physicians: Naomi Scearce, MD; Adolph Wychulis, MD and Alan Sweeney, MD

2004: May 1 Cindy Gorr, Chief Nursing Officer at ARMC since the winter of 2002, was named the medical center’s new CEO, replacing David Sirk who was named CEO at the Medical Center of Southern Indiana, another Province Healthcare facility. Final plans revealed for a Medical Office Building (MOB) to be constructed on the front lawn of the medical center’s spacious 25 acre campus.

2005: (April 15) Province Healthcare, Inc. was purchased by LifePoint Hospitals.

2006: May 1st, ARMC purchased by Saint Catherine Healthcare of Pennsylvania, LLC. Craig Hoover is named CEO.

Saint Catherine Medical Center Fountain Springs is licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for 39 Acute Care Beds and 40 LTCC Beds; and employs more than 250 individuals. It is accredited by both the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.