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The Changing Scene AUGUST *, 1"S - PLAIN DEALER CENTENNIAL EDITION PAGE 2 Hospital Nearing 20 Years Of Service McHenry Hospital, at 3516 W. Waukegan road, showing main entrance, and at extreme right, emergency entrance. Model of Northern Illinois Medical center showing site west of Rt. 31 and south of Bull Valley road. FlfeST BUILDING - BLACKSMITH SHOP, 1915 • •• -W MEDICAL GROUP 1948 PRESENT WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE McHENRY PLAINDEALER ON ITS 100th YEAR I THE McHENRY MEDICAL GROUP I In 1956, when McHenry hospital was founded,Dwight D. Eisenhower was president of the United States. On July 30, 1956, General Eisenhower sent greetings to the citizens who had gathered to celebrate their successful fund-raising achievements: "TO THE GUESTS ASSEMBLED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE NEW McHENRY HOSPITAL: "I am continually impressed by the genius of America summed up in the phrase printed on the great seal of the United States: E Pluribus Unum. "To me, this stands for the wonderful variety in American society coming together with amazing power to work for the common good. In your part of the country, the farmers might call it 'hybrid vigor.' "Your new McHenry hospital is a fine illustration of this kind of vigorous cooperation on a community-wide basis and I am sure, it will yield big results. "Dwight D. Eisenhower" The new hospital has twenty- two beds and a staff of 11 full- time or part-time physicians. At first it was accommodated in space rented from the McHenry Medical Group and ^as composed of emergency room, major and minor surgery rooms, medical- surgical ward, and pediatrics. Miss Manda B. Roe was the administrator. The hospital received its state charter and license, and was certified as a non-profit organization by Blue Cross and all other health insurance companies. The first patient was admitted on Sept. 5, 1956. Among the community services the hospital offered were therapy facilities for cerebral palsied children, in cooperation with the United Cerebral Palsy organization. A distinctive feature of the little hospital was its "walking blood bank," consisting of twenty persons of each blood type who were called to come in and give blood when it was needed. Another feature was the "animal courtyard" for rabbits and other small domesticated animals, within view of the pediatric patients. The first board of directors for McHenry hospital included Henry Tonyan, president; Donald Johnson, first vice- president; James Lennon, second vice-president; George Alvary, M.D., secretary; John Neuharth, treasurer; Kinley Engvalson; Lee Gladstone, M.D.; and Joseph X. Waynne. The original medical-dental staff included, in addition to Dr. Alvary and Dr. Gladstone, Dr. P e t e r . G r i e s b a c h , pediatrician; Dr. Leon Her­ mann, obstetrician; Dr. Jerome Handler, internist; and Dr. Leonard Pawlikowski, dentist. CHARTER "Purposes of McHenry hospital: "A. To establish and main­ tain a hospital for the care of persons suffering from any illness or disabilities of a medical or surgical nature which require hospital care. "B. To carry on .any educational activities related to rendering care of the sick and injured or the promotion of health, which, in the opinion of the board of directors, may be justified by the facilities, personnel, funds or other requirements that are or can be made available. "C.To promote and carry on sciehtific research related to the care of the sick and injured in so far, in the opinion of the board of directors, such research can be carried on, in or in connection with, the hospital. > "D. To participate so far as circumstances may warrant in any activity designed and carried on to promote the general health of the com­ munity. "E. This association is organized exlusively for charitable, scientific and educational purposes as a non­ profit corporation and its ac­ tivities shall be conducted for the aforesaid purposes in such a manner so that no part of its net earnings will inure to the benefit of any member, director, officer of individual. It shall not be its purpose to engage in carrying on propaganda or other at­ tempting to influence legislation. "F. To receive and accept gifts, donations, contributions and bequests of money and property and to use, hold and enjoy the same for the objects and purposes above indicated." "--on file with Recorder of Deeds County Courthouse Woodstock" In September, 1957, the board of Directors announced that McHenry's Mayor George P. Freund had consented to serve as general chairman of a building fund drive for the hospital. The object of the campaign was to raise funds for a 25-bed building adjacent to the original facility. In was decided that con­ tributions should take the form of membership fees in the McHenry Hospital association. For $10 per year (still the membership fee), a contributor could jo^n the association, which owned and managed the hospital, and could elect a board of directors to set the hospital policies. "For the physical health and peace of mind of our com­ munity, an enlarged hospital will be a great blessing. It is our privilege to undergird its construction with our gifts and our prayers," noted a parish bulletin, the Community Methodist News of October, 1§57. The hospital had just ended its first year of operation having admitted or treated 1*153 patients. The full-time members of the staff were Dr. George Alvary, surgery; Dr. Lee Gladstone, general medicine; Dr. David Gomberg, urology; Dr. Peter Griesbach, pediatrics; Dr. Burton Krimmer, eye; Dr. Frank. Paloucek, obstetrics and gynecology; Dr. Jasper Van Avery, internal medicine, and Dr. Charles Woodhouse, or­ thopedic surgery. , * In advance of an October! and November fund-raising campaign, James M. Lennon became chairman of the Pattern Gifts section, assisted by Ray McGee and AI Blake as co-chairmen; Chuck Miller accepted the chairmanship of the Special Gifts; and Virgil Pollock, assisted by Mrs. Gertrude Barbian, headed the General Teams. After Mr. Lennon's division had solicited selected con­ tributors for eleven days and the Special Gifts campaigners has also been in operation for a week, general inter-community solicitation raised the remainder of the needed funds. Ben Underwood became administrator of McHenry hospital on Aug. 1, 1958, replacing Miss Roe. McHenry hospital started its third year on Sept. 5, 1958, having cared for 2,400 patients in the first two years. In addition, a total of 3,450 had been treated in the emergency room, which was open twenty-four hours a day with a registered nurse in fcharge. »• The architect for the new addition was a former resident of McHenry then living in Chicago, John VanDerMeulen, who had designed Embassy buildings in Stockholm and Copenhagen for the U.S. government. In November 1959 the auxiliary completed its $6,000 pledge, made in 1957, when Mrs. Fred (Genevieve) Bond, president of the auxiliary, presented the final check. In 1959, the hospital staff helytc. to found the McHenry County Mental Health clinic, and James Lennon, then treasurer of the hospital board, suggested making available to the agency some facilities adjacent to the hospital (and still utilized by the Mental Health and Family Services agency). On Oct. 8,1957, with president Mae Stinespring presiding, the auxiliary neld its first annual meeting at the McHenry Country ciub. Service pins for 100 hours of volunteer work were presented to Eleanor Nelson, Elvera Justen, Genevieve Bond, Estelle Beatty, Sadie Gladstone, Marge Moreth and May Bishop. James M. "Lennon of Volo succeeded Henry B. Tonan as president of the McHenry Hospital association in January 1960. The following were directors: Ralph Bennett, McHenry; Joseph A. Conerty, Jr.; Woodstock; Kinley L. Engvalson, Ringwood; James Lennon, Volo; Henry B. Tonyan, McHenry; and Drs. George Alvary and Lee Gladstone. Mr. Lennon announced plans for an eighteen bed building to be constructed adjacent to the 25-bed facilities, along Boone creek. During 1959, occupancy had been above 85 percent during ten months of the year, anc^ above 90 percent during May and October, Lennon saia. A $175,000 loan was an­ nounced in May 1960, guaranteed by members of the hospital's board of directors. The basement of the new ofie-story building was to be outfitted with heating units and service equipment capable of servicing a multi-story hospital. Long-range plans called for an additional 100 beds above the forty-three which would be available after the eighteen-bed annex was built. As the new addition would feature maternity depart­ ment and '.ursery - the first obstetrical, iii.it available locally - the hospital's fund- raising com:viitee staged a "diaper derby", in which donors bought simulated diapers. Each diaper was then pinned !o a laundry line which stretched across the site of the addition. Meanwhile, the first course for expectant parents to be presented in this area was inaugurated by Dr. Bennett I. Berman on June 30, 1960. Dr. Berman, an obstetrician, taught the first three sessions; Dr. Peter Griesbach, a pediatrician, taught the fourth session. The course, repeated in alternate months, was the start of McHenry hospital's model "Family-Centered Maternity Care." In November, 1960, the Crystal Lake Players presented a play. "The Girls in 509" as a benefit for the hospital, at St. Mary's auditorium. McHenry. The single-story building was opened April 30, 1961. President John F. Kennedy's telegram said, "The combined effort of those in your community who worked together in bringing better health facilities to the area is an example of generous and responsible citizenship. "JohnF Kennedy" The first baby born in the new hospital was Randall James Comstock. son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Comstock. Pistakee Bay. born May 1. Just 10 days after the opening, the new maternity section welcomed its first set of twins - a. girl and boy, children of Mr/ and Mrs. Marshall Gehrke of Cary. Within two months of the dedication of the new hospital, James Lennon - former showman and entertainer, popular leader and generous businessman - had died. On Sept. 1, 1961, McHenry spital observed its fifth anniversary by honoring employees who had been with the hospital since its opening: June Banker, director of nursing service; Dorothy Rose, „ i irse aide and Marion Karls, medical records librarian; Emilie Fjellstedt, nurse anesthetist; Betty Phelan, former supervisor of nursing service; and Mike Wowczuk, maintenance engineer. Realizing A Dream Taking part in the dedication ceremony in 1961 is Dr. Lee Gladstone, member of the hospital's board of directors, who first had the dream of a hospital in McHenry. Two prominent McHenry officials and James M. Lennon, hospital president, participate in a hospital ribbon cutting ceremony. Above are Donald P. Doherty, mayor in 1961, when dedication of McHenry hospital's new eighteen-bed building was held; Lennon, and former Mayor George P. Freund. MAKE PAVILION GIFT -- Posing in front of the newly-dedicated Bollman pavilion are Mrs. Bernard (Mildred) Bollman, and her son, who participated in the ceremony in honor of their late husband and father. All modern photos -- by Plaindealer Photographer Wayne Gaylord