Hillcrest Care Center history

1914 – Deaconess Anna Blanche Cook, Anna B. Lawther and other women of the Dubuque community opened the Hillcrest Deaconess Home and Baby Fold for infants under two years of age.

1924 – Renamed the Hillcrest Baby Fold in honor of Doctor Nancy Hill.

1928 – Became a charter member of the Dubuque Community Chest now known as United Way Dubuque Area Tri-states.

In 1952, Vanderburgh County constructed the new Hillcrest and Washington buildings to be used as residential care facilities for youth and operated by the Vanderburgh County Department of Public Welfare.

Ted’s Grandmother Nina Hardy Smith founded Hillcrest, and Bill’s Grandfather was an equal owner of Hillcrest with the Smith family since 1957.

1963 – Renamed Hillcrest Children’s Services.

1964 – Opened adoptions and counseling office in Cedar Rapids.

A major transformation of Hillcrest started in 1966 with the hiring of Don Osborne as Executive Director.

1968 – Merged with Iowa Methodist Services for Youth, opened Des Moines office, which became the new adoptions office, and took over the operation of the boys’ group home called Wesley Place.

1971 – Tri-county Family Planning Clinic opens in Dubuque, now known as Professional Health Clinic.

1972 – Opened Delhi Group Home for boys and Fenelon Group Home for girls in Dubuque.

1975 – Renamed Hillcrest Family Services.

1977 – Opened first shelter care facility for adolescents on Jefferson Street in Dubuque.

Organized in 1984, Hillcrest and Southwestern Indiana Mental Health Foundation, Inc.,(Foundation) presented a proposal to the county commissioners and was chosen to manage the facilities.

In June 1987, the Foundation officially began operating the facilities.

1988 – Special Education program for residents started in Dubuque in former Executive Director’s home.

The “culture change” philosophy first taught by the Pioneer Network in the mid 1990’s had been refined and adapted by the Hillcrest team to provide true resident-directed care in 8 private houses, each hosting up to 13 elders.

2002 – Opened first community mental health center in Washington, Iowa.

2003 – Opened guest house for visiting families named Faley Reflections Home in the former Wesley Group in Dubuque.

The first Signature Villas were opened in 2009, featuring beautiful single family and duplex homes for those 55 and better.

2013 – Started Integrated Health Homes Program.

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Construction on The Grand Lodge at Hillcrest Country Estates continues and has more than 75% of the independent apartments reserved with an expected opening date in spring 2015.

Also in 2016, Hillcrest Hospice Care eclipsed the 100 patient mark, becoming the largest provider of hospice services in the area.

2018 – Opened the first Subacute Program in the state of Iowa as well as a Mental Health Center in Jones County.

Hillcrest Health Services won the 2019 McKnight’s Silver Award for Innovator of the Year for integrating the Montessori Method into dementia care.