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The first hospital, which was then known u McHenry Hospital, is shown under contraction in the list's. The photo is from the private collection of Gertrude Gladstone. PAOC9 'People before bricks' is the. way to success Manila jj. Roe served as the administrator of McHenry Hospital when it began to serve the people in the community in September, 1956. The photo is part of the private collection of Gertrude Gladstone. Continued from pogo 2 outstanding show of support, and on July 7,1960 ground was broken for a new 18-bed addition, the same year McHenry Hospital was designated as a Poison Control Center by the Illinois Department of Health. By this time, the hospital staff of board-certified physicians and surgeons included specialists in the fields of opthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otology, pathology, radiology, general surgery, otolaryngology, and internal medicine including such formidable names as Doctor Peter Griesbach, first pediatrician and now deceased, and Doctor Daniel Ruge who is now President Ronald Reagan's personal surgeon. "People before bricks," Gladstone used to say, is the key. "If you look at bricks or the edifice first, and don't have the people who understand and feel the needs and emotions of a project, then you have nothing." In the 1960s the baby boom came alive, and so did McHenry County. The population jumped 30 percent from 1960 to 1970. In 1966 the three-story building, which would be the main hospital, was built. The first floor included a new surgical suite, an enlarged emergency room with separate en­ trance and space for admitting, medical records, and business offices. The second and third floors included additional patient beds,' an in­ termediate care unit, and an am­ bulatory care unit. In 1967 Mrs. Mildred Bollman, in memory of her late husband Bernard- one of the founders of the hospital, donated a 20-bed self-care unit for recovering patients called the "Bollman Pavillion." With these new provisions the total hospital bed capacity in 1967 was 136. Change and growth had not yet ceased, however. In 1968, after long discussions and consultation with the Hospital Planning Council for Metropolitan Chicago and the Illinois Department of Health, the decision was made to formulate plans to build a new regional medical center. The 1970s saw some peaks and valleys in the growth of McHenry Hospital. In 1971, the Ambulatory Care Unit was temporarily converted for intermediate care, providing an additional 20 beds. Also, during that " same year, the unit dose concept of drug distribution was instituted by the hospital's pharmacy, providing safer and more efficient administration of medications. In 1972 the Department of Public Health approved the relocation of McHenry Hospital. However, financial conditions forced a post­ ponement in plans to move the hospital. In August of 1972, McHenry * Hospital was designated, as a Local Trauma Center by the Board of Directors of the Comprehensive Health Planning Agency for McHenry County. m 1973, McHenry Hospital became one of 800 hospitals across the nation to participate in an ongoing cancer and research effort. The hospital's medical dental staff established a cancer registry, with the full approval of the American College of Surgeons. The registry is used to obtain in­ formation on cancer patients, helping physicians better understand the disease and its treatment. The year 1976 brought several landmark events, as .McHenrv Hospital was recognized for special service, and developed more com­ prehensive programs in some of its departments. The hospital's patient representative system was saluted on network television, and a new radiology department opened. Also, the state of Illinois provided a grant for the Mobile Intensive Care Program headquartered at the hospital. Funds were provided among rescue squads for the purchase of two- way telemetry equipment, further increasing the chances for immediate and accurate diagnosis and treatment of critical patients. In May, 1982, McHenry hospital Corporation voted to become four separate not-for-profit corporations: Northern Illinois Human Services Corporation (the Parent); Northern Illinois Medical Center (formerly McHenry Hospital); McHenry Healthcare Foundation; and Nor­ thern Illinois Medical Enterprises and Development (NIMED). It was at this time that the name officially changed to Northern Illinois Medical Center, although McHenry Hospital was used for identification purposes until the new medical center complex opened in June, 1984. The Boards of Directors for the medical center's four corporate entities have worked for many years to ensure the financial viability of the medical center. The numerous activities im­ plemented by the men and women to benefit the patients and the health care facility itself, are imperative to the goal of total patient care. For more than ten years, McHenry Hospital sought to build a new regional medical center, a health care resource that would be more ac- cesible and provide the room needed to serve the needs o£ surrounding communities. After years of planning and having to overcome various set­ backs and hurdles, McHenry Hospital received permission in 1981 to fulfill the community's need for a new hospital at a new site. McHenry Hospital's long and rich history provides a strong foundation on which to build a coordinated, comprehensive health care system for the region. The hospital has long realized its leadership role set in setting the pace for health care in the area. Through well-planned efforts, McHenry Hospital has been able to attract a professional support staff, management team, and highly - qualified and dedicated Medical- Dental staff that are its greatest assets. The new regional medical center has provided the community with a facility which will encourage per­ formance of the highest capacity and assure the public of the latest, most complete health care available. It is a resource which will adapt to the vigorous growth of the area while accomodating the constant changes and improvements in methods and procedures that are part of medical progress. Along with the medical center is a two-story 24,000 square foot Professional Arts Building with of­ fices for physicians and other health care professionals, as well as the Northern Illinois Clinical Laboratory and cardiopulmonary services. The building is connected to the medical center by an enclosed walk­ way. As was the case with the original McHenry Hospital, the new regional medical center will remain a com­ munity responsibility. No one person or group of persons will own it. Many, however, can take pride in knowing that they made the new facility possible through their contributions. This month, the hospital celebrated its twenty-eighth anniversary, marking almost three decades of dedicated growth, progress and community caring.