Centralia Hospital Celebrates 100 Years of Service
Watch a slideshow on St. Mary's Good Samaritan Inc. and the communities it serves in Southern Illinois. (Running time: 1:48)
A mass Oct. 11 to celebrate 100 years in Centralia
CENTRALIA, ILL. (updated Oct. 12) – On Oct. 11, the Centralia Campus of St. Mary's Good Samaritan Inc., known locally as St. Mary's Hospital, celebrated 100 years of its ministry to its community.
A Centennial Mass at St. Mary's Church and a reception that followed attracted about 250 people including the reglious sisters who have ministered here. Long before there was a St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Inc. with campuses in Centralia and Mount Vernon, there was St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia.
Founded in 1909, St. Mary's got its start when Father J.H.Burns, pastor of St. Mary's Church, and a group of city fathers undertook a project to build a hospital. Located on the on the corner of Noleman and Elm Streets, the new hospital opened its doors, Thanksgiving Day, 1909. The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, who had been in Centralia since 1889, were asked to manage the hospital.
As Centralia grew, so did St. Mary's Hospital. The oil and coal boons boosted the city's population. In August of 1939, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ elected to give up the management of the hospital and Bishop Henry J. Althoff asked the Felician Sisters to take over its management and 19 sisters arrived from Chicago. The Felicians have ministered in the community ever since. In 1947, they purchased 20 acres of land on Pleasant Avenue, where the present hospital now stands. That new 117 bed facility welcomed its first patients in 1958. In 1995, SSM Health Care and the Felician Sisters entered into an agreement to create a regional partnership. St. Mary's and Good Samaritan Regional Health Center in Mount Vernon, Ill., are known today as St. Mary's Good Samaritan Inc. with hospitals in Centralia and Mount Vernon.
"Times have changed since our hospital was founded,” said Bruce Merrell, president of the Centralia campus of St. Mary's Good Samaritan Inc. “But our mission hasn't. I'm very proud of our employees, physicians and volunteers who work together to continue the healing ministry of Jesus Christ."
Thirty-eight employees entered the Centennial Essay Contest. And the winners were? They read their winning essays on living out their hospitals' mission. (Edited for length) Grand-prize winner Kimberly Thomas, certified nursing assistant, pediatrics (Running time: 3:22)
St. Mary's Good Samaritan Inc. -- by the numbers in 2008 9,303 surgeries performed 15,210 patients admitted 49,509 emergency room visitors seen $82, 771,653 payroll maintained $33,000,000 charity care and other uncompensated costs for Medicaid/Medicare services SMGS Inc.'s Community Benefit In 2008, caregivers served: 22,602 people at community health education events and health screenings, valued at $663,049 606 people as a part of health professions education, valued at $192,277 790 people through support groups, valued at $13,897 7,631 people through prescription assistance/social services programs valued at $1 97,351 Total: 31,629 people served at a value of $1,066,5 74
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Watch a slideshow on St. Mary's Good Samaritan Inc. and the communities it serves in Southern Illinois. (Running time: 1:48)
Grand-prize winner
