WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
DIXIE MEDICAL CENTER
DIXIE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER (DRMC)
DIXIE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER - 400 EAST CAMPUS
St. George, Utah
LOCATION
544 South 400 EastSt. George, UT 84770
(435)251-1000
http://intermountainhealthcare.org/hospitals/dixie
Most of the city block between 500 South and 600 South and between 300 East and 400 East, excluding the medical office building on the northwest corner.
HISTORY
In May of 1972, Washington County residents passed a bond for construction of a new hospital.In 1975, the Dixie Pioneer Memorial Hospital was expanded to accomodate regional growth and became the Dixie Medical Center. The new $4.5 million facility opened on January 1, 1976 with 65 patient rooms, four operating rooms, an emergency room, an intensive care unit, and an expanded radiology section. It was designed to be further expandable as demand for services would increase.
In 1976, Washington County selected Intermountain Healthcare (IHC) to purchase and operate Dixie Medical Center. It was the first hospital purchased by Intermountain Healthcare (IHC), the newly formed nonprofit organization created to take over the hospitals previously owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The $2.65 million deal was concluded in August of 1976.
About 1978, a switchboard was installed inside the old drive-thru Emergency Room entrance on the north side of the building. It had the names of the 35 physicians practicing at the hospital, including:
Chauncey Adams MD (Chief Medical Officer)
Craig Booth MD
Tom Callahan MD
Neal Capel MD
McKay Christian MD
Norman Fawson MD
Garth Last MD
Gene Latimer MD
Kent McDonald MD
Alpine W. McGregor MD
M. K. McGregor MD
Carlisle Smith MD
Clark Staheli MD
Steven VanNorman MD
Richard Wintch MD
Glen Wyler MD
??? MD (Anesthesiologist)
Ivan Dunlap, CRNA (the only non-MD on the switches)
Each physician would flip a switch by his or her name to alert dispatch and the nurses that they were in the hospital. It also lit up lamps at the telephone switchboard that Phyllis Hoyt dutifully staffed for many a year. It was used for about four years before being replaced by pagers. The switchboard was eventually covered up, but remained in place. During a remodeling of the staff lounge in the Spring of 2010, this switchboard was uncovered for a few days before being covered over again.
In 1983, there was a $12.2 million expansion. At that time there were about 225 employees at the Dixie Medical Center.
In 1990, the facility was renamed Dixie Regional Medical Center (DRMC).
This hospital was replaced in 2003 by the new Dixie Regional Medical Center - River Road Campus. This old hospital was retained as a supplementary DRMC 400 East Campus. It remained the home for cancer services, women & children's services, and mental health services.
PHOTOS
TBDREFERENCES
IHC Dixie Regional Medical Center HistoryDocuments relating to the Construction of the Dixie Regional Medical Center
Collected by Washington County Commissioner G. Murray Webb
Dixie Regional 400 East Campus Remodel Uncovers History
By Brady White
Living Well, Summer 2010, Page 10
An article about the 1980s doctor's switchboard in the old DRMC hospital.
History Uncovered - Doctor Switchboard
By Brady White
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he1nGC1NIaQ
A video about the 1980s doctor's switchboard in the old DRMC hospital.
Intermountain Dixie Regional Medical Center, Medical Staff and Hospital Services Directory
To view or download the Summer 2011 edition, click here
To view or download the Summer 2012 edition, click here
To view or download the Fall 2013 edition, click here
To view or download the Fall 2014 (2014-2015) edition, click here
To view or download the Fall 2015 (2015-2016) edition, click here
To view or download the Fall 2016 (2016-2017) edition, click here
To view or download the 2018 (2018-2018) edition, click here
To view or download the 2019 (2019-2019) edition, click here
Healing for life, Intermountain Dixie Regional Medical Center
Booklet, Around 2013
To view or download it, click here
Healing for life, Intermountain Dixie Regional Medical Center
Booklet, 2016
To view or download it, click here
Video: History of Healthcare in Washington County
A 34-minute interview with Elwood Harrison
Recorded on November 29, 2012
To watch, click here.