Gala celebrates Cambridge Memorial Hospital's 50th year

CAMBRIDGE -- Tri Valley Healthcare Systems is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cambridge Memorial Hospital with a gala to be held Saturday, Nov 1.

Social hour will begin at 6 p.m. and dinner will follow at 7 p.m. at the Cambridge Community Building. Special tributes will be paid to Dr. Clarence Minnick, Dr. Ron Morgan, and the Edwin and Kitty Perkins families. The Lonnie Lynn Orchestra will provide music for the dance. Tickets are still available for $50 per person by calling (308)697-1520 or 697-1514.

Cambridge Memorial Hospital opened its doors in 1958, a 19-bed facility with a staff of 15. The original hospital was a $280,000 project, of which the community donated 60 percent. The fund raising project was started with a bequest from the John Decker estate. Federal funds were also provided through the Hill-Burton Act of 1946, which was designed to provide federal grants to improve the physical plant of the nation's hospital system. Local community fund raising provided for the remainder of the project.

Prior to 1958, Cambridge was served by three doctors -- Dr. H.I. Stearns who took his patients to St. Catherine's Hospital in McCook, Dr. Clarence Minnick and retired Dr. B.F. Stewart, who helped out in emergencies.

Dr. Minnick was a 1901 Cambridge High School graduate and earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical College. In 1924 he returned to practice medicine in Cambridge, and in 1931 he purchased the Republican Valley Hospital. He had an office and examining rooms in the hospital and he lived in the basement.

He was dedicated to serving his patients, traveling throughout Southwest Nebraska to provide medical services. In addition to being on call 24 hours per day, Dr. Minnick also served on the Cambridge school board and was a member of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Minnick died in 1973 at Cambridge Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Ron Morgan visited several communities in 1958, trying to pick the best place to set up a medical practice. He chose Cambridge, in part, because of the new hospital that was being built. Dr. Morgan attended medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He came to Cambridge with a classmate and fraternity brother, Dr. C.G. Gross. The two wanted to set up a family or general practice in a rural area. When they first came to Cambridge, they used Dr. Minnick's hospital for two months until the new Cambridge Memorial Hospital was built.

Dr. Morgan had served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and his love of aeronautics stayed with him after his military service. He also had a love of hunting and horses, but his real passion was medicine. Dr. Morgan retired in 1995 after 37 years of practicing medicine in the Tri-Valley area. Under his leadership, and with generous support from the community, the Cambridge Memorial Hospital continued to grow and prosper.

The Edwin and Kitty Perkins family has been one of the hospital's most faithful supporters. Edwin Perkins was an inventor and entrepreneur originally from Hendley, Neb. He married the daughter of Dr. George Shoemaker, Kitty. He is most noted for his invention and marketing of "Kool-Aide." While the Perkins' had no children of their own, they remained close to their Perkins and Shoemaker relatives, many of whom still live in and around Cambridge.

Kitty's brother, Ome Shoemaker, was on the hospital's original board of directors. Through donations from the Kitty M. Perkins Foundation, the hospital was able to expand and provide more services to the residents of the area.

The Perkins Memorial Wing added 16 more beds in 1965.

The Long-term Care Wing was added in 1968.

Heritage Plaza Retirement Village was built in 1971. It offers independent retirement living.

The Plaza fountain was added in 1977.

Improvements and upgrades continue. The new assisted living unit opened its doors in September 2001. Just last year, the hospital added a 16-slice Toshiba CT scanner. The $700,000 piece of equipment is the only one of its kind in the area.

It allows a three-dimensional scan in great detail and provides the thinnest and fastest slice in the industry, while at the same time minimizing radiation exposure to the patient. It is helpful for diagnosis in trauma situations.

Cambridge Memorial Hospital has grown to the current Tri Valley Healthcare System, which includes a hospital, attached nursing home, independent living and assisted living residences, and multiple clinics with locations in Cambridge, Arapahoe, and Indianola. Tri Valley Healthcare System employs approximately 170 people and has a multi-million dollar operating budget, which provides a significant economic impact for the entire region. The system also includes Tri Valley Medical Foundation which supports the work of Tri Valley Healthcare System.

Tri Valley Healthcare System invites everyone to celebrate the history of the hospital, and to honor some of the people who are responsible for its success.