Lawrence General Regional Health System Inc history

Popular medical service offerings continued to grow, and in 1886, Lawrence General Hospital was officially born.

In 1899, industrialist William A. Russell, founder of the International Paper Company, made a bequest to the society to renovate his Prospect Hill home for a new hospital.

Lawrence General opened its modern facility in 1902, cementing its position as an anchor health care provider in the community to this day.

The first Lawrence Memorial Hospital was opened in the 300 block of Maine in a converted frame residence on January 17, 1921.

In the spring of 1956, a south addition was completed with funds from the federal government through the Hill-Burton program.

In December 1969, another addition opened to provide expanded service facilities and to increase the total number of beds to 165.

In August 1975, ground was broken for the construction of a new building to virtually replace the original facility and bring the total hospital bed capacity to 200.

In 1979, the governing board was expanded to include seven members who served on a voluntary basis without a pay.

A $14.5 million addition to accommodate expansion of outpatient services opened in April 1996.

In February 1997, a $2.5 million construction project expanded the Emergency Department and completely renovated the Maternity Care Unit.

The old hospital building was demolished in 1999.

An upgrade of the Cardiac Catheterization/Special Procedures Lab was completed in 2002 resulting in an all-digital state-of-the-art facility.

An expanded Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation program began in 2003 with funding received from a grant from the William T. Kemper Foundation, Commerce Bank Trustee.

LMH launched the LMH Heart Center with the introduction of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention services in 2005.