Memorial Hospital

Memorial Hospital held its dedication ceremony on Sunday, September 6, 1948.  The principal speaker was Dr. James P. Cornette, president of West Texas State College at Canyon, who addressed a crowd of over 200 people. An open house and tour followed which was attended by over 400 people.

The new Memorial Hospital was one of the best appointed and finished hospitals in this area, with the latest model fixtures throughout.

The hospital was designed by Guy Carlander and was built by the Wirtz Company, both of Amarillo, under the supervision of the Moore County Commissioners Court including Judge Arthur Ullom and Commissioners L.J. Haile, H.L. Hooter, George Bain and W.W. Burnett. The cost of the build was $375,000, which included equipment.

The hospital offered a generous 23 patients beds including six (6) semi-private rooms, seven (7) private rooms, and a three (3) bed ward. The furniture in all rooms consisted of the newest, most modern designs provided by Hill-ROM. A private room cost the patient $10/day.

The hospital has its own operating room, tiled and complete with the latest model operating table and the latest design in counterbalanced operating lights, and its own obstetrics room for deliveries, with a table and variable focus light. A neat scrub room existed between the obstetrics and operating rooms.

The hospital boasted a newborn nursery with six (6) bassinets and a baby incubator, which had been provided to the hospital by the Dumas Business and Professional Women organization.

There was an oxygen tent, a complete medication dispensary, and an emergency treatment room for accident victims.

The kitchen boasted complete stainless steel appliances including a double oven stove and a 75 cubit foot refrigerator, ample cabinet & working space for staff, an industrial potato peeler, food mixer, and an automatic dishwasher.

The dining room seated 30 people and included lockers & dressing rooms for staff members.

Patients and visitors enjoyed a completely equipped waiting room supplied with comfortable and modern wooden furniture.

Basement heating, laundry chutes, and a basement mechanical unit for the kitchen refrigerator rounded out the fully supplied building.

The very first patient of Memorial Hospital was admitted on Monday, Sept 6, 1948 at 8:10 am. 

The very first baby was born at 7:58am on September 6, 1948. The baby was a girl.

The first administrator was Frank Cheevers, who lead a team of twelve (12) hospital staff and four (4) doctors.

The first members of the hospital Board of Directors were: W.J. Morton, Jr, J.C. Barnhart, Roy Meirs, Fad. D. Hill, and Roy Clark. W.J. Morton, Jr was the Chairman of the Board and was the benefactor of MCHD’s Morton Scholarship fund, which seeded a program to provide scholarships to students who are pursuing a career in the healthcare field.

A nurse’s salary at the time was $125/month. They worked 8 hour days, 6 days a week, with meals included.

The Creation of Moore County Hospital District

Memorial Hospital proudly served Dumas for twenty years, until the needs of both the community in Dumas and surrounding communities triggered the decision to expand its support to all of Moore County and portions of surrounding counties in the Texas Panhandle.

Mr. Frank Cheevers, Memorial Hospital’s Administrator, along with Mr. Mert Keeney, Moore County Auditor, and Mr. Dean Cobb, Moore County Attorney, met with the Moore County Commissioner’s Court on January 8, 1968 to discuss the creation of a special hospital district to support the hospital’s growing patient base. The Commissioner’s Court, consisting of Mr. Dan H. Hatter of Precinct 1, Mr. I. H. Stewart of Precinct 2, Mr. George A. Brown of Precinct 3, and Mr. John H. Worst of Precinct 4, agreed with the needs of its community and provided a letter of endorsement, along with the proposed bill, to Senator Grady Hazelwood and Representative Bill Barton for support.

In June of 1969, at the close of the regular session of the sixty-first (61st) legislature, the State of Texas passed House Bill 16 (H.B. No 16) and Chapter 287 allowed for Memorial Hospital to become a special hospital district.

And Moore County Hospital District was born.

Ever Changing Needs

Moore County Hospital District (MCHD) has seen many expansions and renovations throughout the years in order to accommodate new services and the ever-expanding patient base that the District serves. From an attached nursing home, additional patient rooms, a surgery wing, and an extension to hold the Panhandles first 64 slice CT scanner, the hospital footprint no longer resembles the humble 23 bed hospital that opened in 1969.

The hospital over time expanded to accommodate 60 patient beds. Then the healthcare industry saw a major change with improved technology and knowledge. Bed space was repurposed when the healthcare began to move from inpatient services to outpatient services and now the hospital comfortably holds 25 beds.

MCHD now employs over 400 people across a wide range of services.

Inpatient services include a Medical/Surgical & Intermediate Care Unit, a Swing Bed & Skilled Nursing Unit, a Women’s Services Unit and Newborn Nursery, a comprehensive Surgical Services Unit, Wound Care, Hospice, 24/7 Imaging, Respiratory, Laboratory, and EMS Services, a 24/7 Level IV Trauma and Emergency Room Unit, Nutritional Services w/Registered Dietician, Social Services, Utilization Review & Discharge Planning Services, and Tele-Services including Stroke, Cardiology, Nephrology, and Psychiatric

Outpatient services include a 56 Licensed-Bed Nursing Home, Outpatient Surgical Services, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Hospice, Imaging Services including self-referral mammogram services, Laboratory Services, Population Health Services, Telenursing care, Behavioral Health Services, and Nephrology. MCHD also employs multiple physicians who serve the Moore County community including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Podiatry, General Surgery, Orthopedics, OBGYN, and Nephrology.

Looking Forward to Fulfill Future Needs

In 2018, The District began an expansion and renovation project to update the facilities and to allow exceptional patient care at MCHD to continue far into the future. The patient care addition was completed and, on January 12th 2021, the District moved patient care into a new patient care addition. Along with the new building there was new radiology equipment, new central monitoring equipment, and much more.

The laboratory, pharmacy, physician sleep rooms, and therapy services areas were completed after the move to the patient care area and additional areas such as administration areas, classrooms, patient financial services, and medical records followed afterwards.

The final stages of renovation are underway including a new chapel, courtyards, and a café that will be open for both District and community purposes.

The Moore County Hospital District administration team. along with its current Board of Directors, continue to evaluate services and equipment needs to improve the care of our patients and our community.