Bothwell Regional Health Center history

The best news of the decade came in late 1939 when the hospital was placed on the approved list of the Hospitalization Standardization Conference having met all major requirements of the American College of Surgeons.

In 1941, the nation went to war, and hospital personnel did their part for their country.

In 1946 the existing third floor became the maternity ward, and the X-ray department and laboratory also moved there.

In 1947, a combination radiographic and fluoroscopic X-ray unit was delivered, and a significant service in the form of the Cancer Clinic was added.

By 1955, the hospital was 25 years old and had become overcrowded and in drastic need of expansion.

In 1959, the three-story north wing annex was completed, which made it possible to serve 120 patients at the same time.

The first issue of the Bothwell Hospital Employees News debuted in March 1965.

In 1968, the second part of the three-story far north wing was completed.

The lingering nursing shortage caused a temporary shutdown of the Intensive Care Unit in 1973.

In 1974, a two-story northwest wing was added bringing the total number of hospital beds to 188.

An annex was built in 1978 to house nuclear medicine, cobalt treatment and business departments.

Bothwell celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1980 and kicked off the decade with a new master plan.

The 75,000 square foot, three-story addition, named the Ray R. Jiedel Wing, opened in 1985 and was made possible by an $8 million revenue bond passed by Sedalia voters.

A $3.4 million remodeling and expansion project began in 1989 and created 38 private rooms on the third floor of the new wing.

In 1993, a new Critical Care Unit opened, which included state-of-the-art Radiology and Physical Therapy departments that showcased the latest advances in life-saving treatments and medications.

Despite its growth regionally, Bothwell continued to strengthen its presence in Pettis County by implementing a new master plan in 1996.

The Bothwell Diagnostic Center, a 10,000 square foot free-standing clinic on Sedalia’s west side, opened in 2005 to make lab and diagnostic services available in a non-hospital setting.

The cancer floor was named the Susan O’Brien Fischer Cancer Center in memory of Susan Fischer, a Sedalia mother and fierce cancer care advocate, who lost her battle with cancer in 2008.

Citing focuses on cancer and heart health issues, recruiting new physicians and growing women’s health services, Bothwell embarked on a multi-phased initiative in 2009 to add more facilities to its physical footprint.