| Salem’s first hospital was organized by
local physicians and private citizens, and was funded with $752
raised in a public solicitation. It opened its doors on January
1, 1896. The hospital settled on 10 acres on Center Street,
then called Asylum Street, adjacent to the State Hospital.
The Deaconess Hospital, Salem’s second hospital, founded
on December 3, 1916, by members of the Mennonite church. The
hospital began with 12 beds housed in the old Salem Hotel
on Winter Street. By 1936, Salem Deaconess Hospital was expanded
to 100 beds.
The hospital was turned over to the Salem community in 1947,
a new board of trustees was named and a not-for-profit corporation
was formed under the name of Salem Memorial Hospital.
In 1969, Salem Memorial Hospital and Salem General Hospital
merged to make better use of buildings, equipment, and personnel
- - providing higher quality care and lower costs. All acute
care care services were consolidated on Winter Street. The
Center Street site was remodeled and expanded in 1989, and
again in 2000, to accommodate growing rehabilitation services.
The opening of the hospital’s new five-story Center
for Outpatient Medicine in 1999, marks the consolidation of
outpatient programs ranging from surgery to radiation Oncology.
Skybridges connect the center to the hospital and the parking
structure.
In 2000, the not-for-profit community hospital, serves more
than 87,000 patients are treated each year in the Emergency
and Urgent Care centers, and more than 20,000 patients per
year are admitted. Last year, over 3,500 babies were born
in our Maternity department. In 2000, the daily room rate
remained one of the lowest in the state.
Compiled by Cynthia Harvey and Monica Mersinger
Bibliography:
A Century of Service, Salem Hospital 1896-1996 by John McMillan
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