Ashtabula County Medical Center | ACMC Pulse | Summer 2019

4 ACMC Pulse  • Anniversary Issue • acmchealth.org How far we’ve come The history and heart of ACMC 1882 + + Ladies Railroad Auxiliary formed to care for patients in the temporary hospital. 1902 + + Ashtabula General Hospital Association is organized. 1907 + + First class of nurses graduates from the nursing school. 1947 + + Campaign launched to build new 150- bed hospital. 1892 + + Ladies Hospital League undertakes effort to establish a proper hospital. 1904 + + Ashtabula General Hospital opens on June 20; the first patient is seen just after midnight. 1911 + + North Wing erected as nurses home. 1930 + + Amelia Lewis Nurses Home erected. IN THE LATE 1800s, Ashtabula County residents relied on their local family physician when they became ill. When disaster struck in December 1876, it was an eye-opener to the community that it needed a hospital. A group of concerned citizens began planning an emergency hospital and then a true hospital for the community. On June 20, 1904, at a cost of $14,500, Ashtabula General Hospital opened its doors. That first hospital, which grew to become Ashtabula County Medical Center, looked more like someone’s home than an advanced medical facility. Yet it housed two operating rooms, four wards, six private rooms and more. A handful of physicians saw patients for emergency needs, as well as kidney, liver and lung issues; obstetrics and pediatrics. Putting patients and caregivers first “When I look at our history, I see the facility growth and technological advancements we’ve made over the Caring for our community for 115 years