White County, Arkansas

White County Historical Society

White County:  Offering hometown healthcare throughout the ages

 

For many years, White County has been a center for health.  Initially, the area contained one hospital run by a nurse in her five-room home.  But healthcare has changed dramatically.  Today, White County Medical Center offers two state-of-the-art facilities with a combined total of 438 licensed beds.  Below is a timeline highlighting major events in the history of medicine in White County.  For a more complete account, please reference the coffee-table book that has been published in honor of White County Medical Center’s 40^th anniversary.  It is available in WCMC’s marketing department.  For more information, call (501) 380-1050. 

 

• 1853—Dr. James C. Holland, who was perhaps the first physician to live and practice medicine in Searcy, came to town. 
• 1920—Searcy’s first hospital, Wakenight Sanitarium, was started by Mrs. O.C. Wakenight, Dr. A.G. Harrison, and Dr. S.T. Tapscott.
• July 1940—Dr. M.C. Hawkins opened Hawkins Clinic Hospital. 
• 1943—Dr. Porter Rodgers, Sr., purchased Wakenight Sanitarium.  The facility’s name was changed to Porter Rodgers Hospital. 
• 1947—An addition to Porter Rodgers Hospital was completed.  This new annex consisted of fifty rooms, and it increased the hospital’s capacity to seventy patients. 
• November 28, 1961—White County citizens went to the polls to vote on the construction of a county-owned hospital and the proposed nine hundred thousand dollar bond issue.  The people voted to build the hospital, but they defeated the two mil tax that was needed to construct the facility.  The county hospital could not be built.
• June 30, 1963—Dr. Martin Hawkins closed the hospital division of the Hawkins Clinic Hospital.  All patients were transferred to Rodgers Hospital.  Rodgers Hospital was the only hospital in the county.
• September 10, 1963—Voters approved the construction of the county hospital and the bond issue.   
• August 1, 1965—A ground-breaking ceremony began construction at the Race Street location.
• January 16, 1967—White County Memorial Hospital admitted its first patients. 
• 1968—Porter Rodgers Hospital changed from a proprietary hospital to a publicly-traded for-profit institution owned by Intermed International. 
• May 1969—The WCMH board petitioned for a special election to approve a $653,500 bond issue that would be used to put the third floor on the hospital.    In a familiar situation, the voters approved the construction but defeated the tax to finance it.  Another election was held in September, and the county decided by a sizeable majority to approve the tax. 
• 1971—Construction began on WCMH’s third floor.
• 1972—Intermed International sold Porter Rodgers Hospital to a company called Chanco.  Chanco later became known as American Medical International (AMI). 
• March 1972—WCMH’s third floor became operational, adding 80 beds and a four-bed intensive care unit.
• 1975—Porter Rodgers Hospital opened a new facility at 1200 South Main Street.  The hospital’s name changed to Central Arkansas General Hospital, and it was later shortened to Central Arkansas Hospital. 
• 1983—WCMH expanded the emergency room and added a critical care unit. 
• 1983—A wing was added to CAH, which included a critical care, inpatient rehabilitation, and two nursing stations.
• 1989—White County Memorial Hospital became the first hospital in Arkansas to offer labor, delivery, and recovery in one convenient setting. 
• 1992—The cafeteria, rehabilitative center, and outpatient care center were updated at White County Memorial Hospital.
• 1993—WCMH remodeled the first floor. 
• 1995—White County Memorial Hospital became White County Medical Center, a 501(c)3 corporation. 
• 1995—American Medical International sold CAH to National Medical Enterprises, Inc. (NME).  Almost concurrently, NME was renamed Tenet Healthcare Corporation.  Tenet was the second largest investor-owned healthcare provider in the United States.
• December 1996—Ground was broken for WCMC’s largest construction project to date:  the north wing.  Plans called for a 74,000 addition to the 88,000 square-foot facility. 
• 1997—Central Arkansas Hospital added the cancer center. 
• 1998—WCMC completed the north wing addition, which included four stories extending from the present facilities that could be accessed from Moore Street.  This $16 million expansion provided additional private rooms, an enlargement of the emergency department, and more educational facilities. 
• 1998— The White County Outpatient Surgery Center was constructed, which provided the area with the first ambulatory care facility.  These services are located on Moore Street in the building behind Searcy Medical Center.
• 1998— Central Arkansas Hospital began a construction project that added the new façade, the heart center, and the cardiac catheterization lab.
• 1999—WCMC purchased River Oaks Village. 
• 2000—Oscar Stilley, a Fort Smith attorney, wanted to place a referendum on the general election ballot that would force the sale of several Arkansas non-profit hospitals.  On September 29, the proposed ballot initiative petition was ruled to be contrary to state law. 
• August 21, 2002—WCMC broke ground for the south tower, a $38 million dollar project.  In this largest project in the hospital’s history, a total of 200,000 square feet was added to the facilities. 
• September 2, 2003— Tenet announced that CAH had been sold to Triad Hospitals, Inc.  
• 2004—The south tower of WCMC opened.  Several areas of the hospital received new facilities, including the New Life Center, critical care units, surgery and recovery, outpatient services, physical therapy, dietary services, laboratory, and materials management. 
• August 1, 2005—Medical Center West opened.  At this location, WCMC offers an open MRI, CT scanner, physical therapy, and durable medical equipment. 
• September 14, 2005—WCMC announced the acquisition of Central Arkansas Hospital from Triad Hospitals Inc. of Plano, TX.
• 2006— White County Medical Center purchased the most expensive single piece of equipment in the hospital’s history:  a 64-slice CT imaging system.  This 64-slice CT performs traditional CT functions but also offers the most sophisticated cardiac imaging system in the world.  With this addition, WCMC continued its commitment to providing the service area with modern technology. 
• October 2, 2006—The inpatient hospice unit at WCMC South began accepting patients. 
• 2006— The hospital’s medical staff consists of over 150 physicians representing a wide variety of specialties.  WCMC is the second-largest employer in Searcy, with over 1400 associates living, working and raising families in Searcy and the surrounding communities.