40 Years of Caring
Let’s look back 40 years. The Watergate scandal, the resignation
of President Nixon, the final years of the Vietnam War and the
nation’s first oil crisis weighed heavily on everyone during the
years that Sarah Bush Lincoln was being considered and built.
For many, the creation of a regional hospital was a bright light
on an otherwise dim horizon. What are your thoughts?
Discussion of merging the Mattoon and Charleston hospitals
evolved when the facilities began working together to realize
economies of scale in purchasing medical supplies, Dick
Lumpkin, a member of the original planning council and, later, a
board chairperson, recalls. “The Mattoon hospital was old and
in need of modernization, while the Charleston hospital was new
and attractive, but with limited facilities for patient care. Many
of the doctors in both communities were nearing retirement and
neither facility was attractive to young doctors. Fortunately, there
was the possibility of significant funding under the Hill-Burton
Act to support consolidation and modernization of small rural
hospitals. However, individual community sentiments were a
stumbling block. Both cities were leery of a central facility several
miles from the heart of either community. Emotions ran high,” he
said.
Medical Oncologist Edward C. Hoppin, MD, first employed physician
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“As we explained the need for merging and building the new
hospital, interest began to increase, and leaders in the two
communities finally decided it was the right thing to do. On
opening day, thousands waited in line to see the new hospital.
That was a day certainly worth celebrating,” he added. “When
visiting Sarah Bush Lincoln today, I am awed by what has been
accomplished. There is an impressively broad range of care
available in a state-of-the-art facility with an extraordinarily
friendly and professional staff.”
Joe Dively, former board chairperson, added, “Like everyone
associated with Sarah Bush Lincoln over the years, I give so much
credit to the community members who saw the need to combine
our hospitals, despite strong opposition. They deserve a huge
amount of the credit for what we are today.”
Sarah Bush Lincoln has grown a lot since that day. What are
some highlights?
Former board officer Charles Kirchner said, “Over the 11 years
that I served on SBL boards during the late ’80s and early ’90s,
may 2017
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