Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH) celebrated its 60th anniversary on Wednesday, August 24 with a tea in the cafeteria. In attendance were retired nurses Muriel McFaddin and Jean Bishopp, who both worked at the hospital when it opened. Bishop was the nurse who took the first patient to the new hospital and McFadin was matron at the time. Michael Atwood attended to represent his father Dr. Hugh Atwood, who cut the ribbon at the opening 60 years ago. Also present were retired doctor Neil Donnelly and sisters Cindy Watt and Brenda Bourdon whose grandfather Tony Woodland was on the hospital’s board for many years. Watt is involved with the Cariboo Memorial Hospital Foundation and said this year’s Hospital Gala on November 5 is to raise money for surgery and diagnostic equipment. “We have always believed that if we have a strong hospital and a strong medical community, we will have a strong city. I want to thank everyone who does the work here and makes it a safe place to be,” Watt said. The doctor Dr. Glenn Fedor described CMH as the “little hospital that could.” He said that when the hospital opened it was the first place in the city to have air conditioning, central heating and an elevator. The first War Memorial Hospital erected in 1925 cost about $24,000 to build and the price tag for CMH was $1.9 million. The hospital’s reconstruction, which is expected to begin in the spring of 2023, is currently projected to cost $218 million. There were 75 beds at CMH when it opened. In 1973 the pediatric unit was added on the fourth floor and in 1977 the nurses’ residence was added, followed by Deni House in 1987 and the new addition and renovation with the new emergency and operating rooms in 1995, as well as the cafeteria and cafeteria and renovation. new laboratories. “Now we have the whole new redevelopment coming in,” Fedor said. “There have been a lot of people who have come and gone. Unfortunately some have passed on and often left wonderful memories and legacies.” Today the hospital struggles every day to find staff, to deal with viruses and medical developments, he added. “The hospital was 87 beds in 1981 when I came and now we’re down to 28 beds, but that’s partly because of advances in drugs, vaccinations and day surgery. The appendages can now be removed during the day and you can send patients home. In maternity, when I first came here, Noel Donnelly used to have a natural labor for five days.” Mayor Walt Cobb said he was 18 when CMH opened, mayor when the addition was completed in 1995 and with any luck will be mayor when the redevelopment is complete. “I have to give credit to the staff over the years. We can’t do it without them and I remember so much, especially when we went through the fires in 2017, how wonderful the staff were,” Cobb said. READ MORE: Cariboo Memorial Hospital upgrade delayed, spring 2023 target new [email protected] Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Williams Lake
