Timeline

1930

• Mercer County home to a few private hospitals

1940

• Stites Hospital opens (privately owned)

1943

• Stites Hospital closes
• Special County Board meeting called to discuss need for a hospital in the county

1944

• Mercer County voters approve a hospital maintenance tax

1945

• County Board calls a special election to approve a hospital constitution bond.
• Aledo City Council volunteers to sell the city North Park for a new hospital site.

1947

• Mercer County approves the building of a $1 million facility using Hill-Burton funds.

1948

• Ground-breaking for the new hospital

1950

• Open House of new facility
• First patient admitted to new facility

1956

• Genesis Medical Center, Aledo Women's Auxiliary formed

1965

• Hospital remodeled to increase bed capacity from 57 to 66

1967

• Physical Therapy added to services
• Inhalation Therapy added to services

1972

• ICU Unit added

1980

• Construction begins on a new 53-bed hospital

1982

• New hospital opens

1983

• Specialty services added:
  • Orthopedics
  • Ophthalmology
  • Urology
• Healthcare climate changes to outpatient care
• Addition of DRG and CMS

1986

• Ambulance service added

1987

• Swing bed program added
• Home Health Care services added

1988

• Extended Care services added

1989

• Podiatry clinic added

1990

• In-house emergency room physician added for weekend coverage
• MCH begins management for Mercer County Health Department
• Mercer Foundation for Health established

1992

• CT scanner added

1993

• Medical Clinic opens

1996

• Join with Trinity Health and OSF St. Francis for Teleradiology network

1997

• Medical Office building constructed
• Medical Associates Clinic relocates
• Mercer County Health Department relocates

1998

• Outpatient Clinics established:
  • Rehabilitation
  • Orthopedics
  • Gastroenterology
  • Urology

1999

• Critical Access process begins
• Data Processing for Y2K updated

2000

• In-house 24-hour emergency room physician coverage begins
• Hospital receives CAH designation

2001

• Ophthalmology outpatient clinic established
• Mercer County Board of Supervisors instituted (independent hospital governing board).

2003

• Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network formed

2006

• Nuclear Medicine added
• Telepsychiatry added
• Psychiatry outpatient clinic formed
• Dr. Dennis Palmer receives the Illinois Hospital Association Rural Physician of Excellence Award
• Dr. Palmer celebrates 30 years of service to the community

2007

• Fall Prevention Clinic added
• Memory Clinic added
• Women's Health Clinic added
• Diabetes Program receives certification and national recognition (NDPR).
• $10.5 million major hospital renovation plan approved by hospital governing board and county board.
• Chairman of the Governing Board, Mr. Don Johnson, receives the 2007 Illinois Hospital Association Distinguished Service Award.

2008

• Dr. Prasop Rattananont receives the 2008 Rural Physician of Excellence Award on September 16th in Springfield.
• Dr. Julio Santiago receives the Top Family Doctors Award by the Consumer's Research Council of America.

2009

• Genesis Medical Center, Aledo signs management contract with Genesis Health System.

2010

• Mercer County Board approves affiliation between Mercer County Hospital and Genesis Health System.
• Genesis Medical Center, Aledo opens Sleep Center.
• Physical Therapy adds Sports Medicine component for local high school athletes.
• Genesis Health System and Genesis Medical Center, Aledo work together to offer Occupational Health program to local business and employers.