Franklin County Medical Center history

1936 - Seth G. Walton, a native of Franklin County, started his medical practice in Hampton.

1937 - Doctor W. L. Randall accepted a post in the Hampton Clinic.

1939 - World War ll began.

1941 - An iron lung was purchased by the community for the Lutheran Hospital.

1944 - Doctor H.H. Johnston bought the Hampton Clinic, thus assuring the county a medical doctor.

1955 - Doctor D.K. Benge of Des Moines started his association with the Hampton Clinic in May.

1957 - A list of appeals for funds was published.

1960- The Hampton Clinic installed new X-ray equipment of the latest type at a cost of $16,000.

1962 - Stockholders of the Lutheran Hospital voted to give the property, valued at $540,000, to Franklin County.

1964 - In June an open house was held for the $40,000 remodel of first floor.

1967 - Franklin County's health needs were increasing and there were concerns that the hospital would not pass a federal inspection.

1972 - Additional land was purchased around the hospital to accommodate future expansions.

1979 - MediSearch was formed for physician recruitment.

1982 - Cardiac stress testing was started.

1984 - In February the swing bed program was approved, allowing any inpatient bed to be used for either acute or skilled patients.

1989 - Construction was done to add a new board room and administrative offices to the hospital.

In the early 1990’s the hospital network and some of the former RHA physicians worked with others in the community to form the Healthy Community Coalition, with the goal of organizing and reinforcing community health efforts.

Franklin Community Health Network was formed in 1991 as the parent entity for a system that would include a variety of affiliates and owned enterprises, most prominent among them a 65-bed Franklin Memorial Hospital.

1993 - FGH cut employees’ salaries and benefits.

1996 - A satellite clinic opened in Latimer.

1999 - Franklin General Hospital partnered with Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City, Iowa.

2001 - The Dudley acreage (25 acres) was purchased and 8.5 acres sold to R.A.C.E. for $1 to build the Franklin Wellness Center.

2003 - A hospital roofing project was completed.

2005 - Franklin Wellness Center opened.

In 2006 for the first time the Visioning was launched with an initiative called 50 Stories in 50 Days, which identified health leaders in the community and assigned them to a resident recipient of one of a safety net service.

2007 - Language Line was utilized to accommodate a growing Spanish-speaking population in Franklin County.

2010 - A fundraising campaign called "Healing, Renewing, Expanding" was conducted to help finance the $15.5 million complete renovation of FGH.

Franklin Country View received the 2014 Leading Edge Care and Services Award for their work in rehabilitation.

2016 - Apple Valley takes over management of the assisted living facility connected to Franklin General Hospital.

2018 - FGH Foundation holds Pink Tie Gala to raise money for a 3D Mammography machine.