By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
A heifer was auctioned off 75 years ago to help raise funds to build Wood County Hospital in Bowling Green. The community rallied behind the cause and in 1951 the hospital opened with 65 beds for patients, 22 bassinets for babies, and 132 employees to care for them all.
Times have changed, with the hospital now having 900 employees, 45 more beds, and more than 150,000 patients seen last year.
And this time around, as the hospital again turns to the community for support, there will be no heifers auctioned.
On Thursday, Wood County Hospital officials and community members joined to celebrate the first 75 years of the institution – while preparing for the next 75 years of service.
“This is really a story of community,” Wood County Hospital President Stan Korducki said to those attending. And it’s a story of an independent community hospital that needs help as it faces the challenges ahead.
Thursday was also the official kickoff of the campaign to raise $7.5 million to help the hospital continue to offer state-of-the-art cancer treatment, and to attract and retain quality physicians.
Much of the $7.5 million has already been raised through donations and matching funds from the hospital foundation.
Still needing to be raised is about $340,000, according to Cristy Walton, vice president of development at the hospital. It is hoped that amount will be surpassed.
“Our goal is to exceed our goal,” Walton said.
The biggest chunk of the funds will go to purchase a $5 million linear accelerator to advance treatment in the Maurer Family Cancer Care Center. The current radiation equipment must be replaced in the next two or three years to maintain the quality of local cancer care.
The rest of the funds are intended to create an endowment to allow Wood County Hospital to compete for new and retain current physicians.
“Most physicians today have large debt,” from their education, Walton said. While a smaller community setting might appeal to some new physicians, the pay often lags behind larger institutions. “Sometimes they can’t afford that,” she said.
Dr. Tom Wojciechowski Sr. was one of those new physicians who came to Wood County Hospital nearly 50 years ago when the hospital staff was much smaller.
He credited the past three administrators – Stan Korducki, Mike Miesle and Bill Culbertson – with leading the hospital during those decades.
“They have navigated us through unbelievable changes,” Wojciechowski said.
Though small, the hospital has remained “clinically relevant” with multiple specialists, he said. A cancer survivor, Wojciechowski recalled when local cancer patients needed to travel to Toledo or further for treatments.
Dr. Peter Lalor talked about his recruitment by the hospital 18 years ago.
“It was the community and people behind the hospital that sealed the deal for me and my family,” Lalor said. “It’s truly a patient-friendly hospital” that is progressive, independent and thriving, he added.
A video was played for the crowd, allowing some patients to share their personal experiences at the hospital.
“We don’t do everything here. But what we do here, we do well,” said Mike Marsh, a cancer survivor who serves on the hospital board, and is chairman of the foundation campaign.
“You get a very personal touch at Wood County Hospital,” said Jerry Anderson about his care.
And Sheilah Crowley shared her belief that the community today owes it to future generations to take steps now to continue quality care for years to come.
Prior to 1951, the attempts to build a countywide hospital in Bowling Green failed. It was an expensive endeavor, and local residents were left having to travel to Toledo for surgeries. But after World War II, funding was made available for the creation of new hospitals.
With the help of community leaders, Alva Bachman and Fred Uhlman, $750,000 was raised to build the hospital.
“It was a great story of persistence for many years,” Korducki said.
In 1960, the hospital got its first X-ray equipment. Now it offers specialists in weight loss surgery, rehabilitation, cancer care, wound healing, women’s care and robotic surgery.
“It works because we are very patient centric,” Korducki said.
“As a business, we try to stay nimble and right sized for our community,” he said. “We know who we are.”
Wood County Hospital has the same standard of care as massive health care facilities, Korducki said.
“We have survived and thrived because we are a big hospital that’s small in size,” he said.
Wood County Hospital Board Chairman Michael Fatzinger said Thursday’s event was all about celebrating the hospital’s legacy of service, compassion and community.
“Our greatest strength – the people who work here,” he said.
