History

In 1894, Dr. William Pierce and Ellen Brown rented a house at 6 Main Street and opened a private medical practice. The following year, citizens of Franklin County agreed to open Franklin County Public Hospital (FCPH). With $16,000 in community fundraising, the new hospital opened on September 9, 1895.^[4] In 1910, the hospital had raised an additional $65,000 in donations, enough to build a much larger facility on High Street.^[5] Although FCPH struggled financially during the Great Depression, it managed to expand its facilities and recruit new medical specialists.^[6] The hospital expanded further after World War II, and became affiliated with Baystate Medical Center in 1981. To reflect this new affiliation, it was renamed Baystate Franklin Medical Center (BMFC) two years later.

Current facilities and operations

Baystate Franklin Medical Center is a 90-bed hospital providing medical, surgical, obstetric, pediatric, psychiatric and behavioral health inpatient care, as well as outpatient services. With 900 employees, it is the only hospital in Franklin County and serves rural communities with appropriate specialized services.^[7]

History

King's handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts - a series of monographs, historical and descriptive (1884) (14804598813)

In 1868, Dr. George Stebbins, the city physician in Springfield, Massachusetts, recommended that the city establish a permanent hospital. The need for a dedicated hospital in Springfield became evident during and after the Civil War, when wounded soldiers came to the city in search of treatment. The city approved Dr. Stebbins' recommendation, and Springfield City Hospital opened two years later in a remodeled farmhouse on Boston Road.^[9] In 1886, Dorcas Chapin, the widow of Chester W. Chapin, bequeathed $25,000 of her husband's will to Springfield Hospital on the condition that an equal sum be raised. By 1907, the hospital had a main building surrounding by four wings.^[10]

In the twentieth century, Springfield's population increased considerably, and Springfield Hospital further expanded Expansion culminated in a big merger in fall 1976, when Springfield Hospital and Wesson Women's Hospital joined with Wesson Memorial to form the 1,036-bed Baystate Medical Center (BMC).^[11] Today, BMC is the largest hospital affiliated with Baystate Health Systems.^[12]

In 2012, Baystate Medical Center opened a new 641,000-square-foot (59,600 m²), $300 million facility that includes: a heart and vascular center; new patient care units with private rooms; a new emergency department, of 70,000 square feet (6,500 m²). The new building also includes shell space for future growth. It was officially dedicated on February 28, 2012. The Massachusetts Department of Health certified the new building in January 2012 and new patients began to occupy the building in March 2012.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Current facilities and operations

Baystate Medical Center, Springfield MA

Baystate Medical Center is currently a tax-exempt, nonprofit hospital with 716 beds and more than 4,000 employees.^[12] BMC serves as the tertiary care referral center for the region, meaning that it has a full complement of medical services and facilities. The latter include the area's only neonatal intensive care unit, a level-1 trauma center with pediatric designation, an adult cardiac surgery service with the region's only open-heart surgery capabilities, and a kidney transplant center. BMC is affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and therefore is classified as an academic hospital. In 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked BMC the third-best hospital in Massachusetts.^[17] In March 2020, BMC constructed a triage area outside the emergency department to address the potential surge in COVID-19 patients.^[18]

History

Noble Hospital Westfield, MA in the early 1900s

Founded in 1893, Noble Hospital owes its existence to Reuben Noble. Noble was born in Westfield in 1820. He made a fortune from the city's whip manufacturing industry and unsuccessfully campaigned as a Democrat in two Massachusetts State Senate elections. Noble died on June 3, 1890. His will gifted over $43,000 for the establishment of a hospital "for the reception of persons who may need medical or surgical treatment during temporary sickness or injury."^[19] Noble Hospital addressed the demand for a dedicated medical facility in Westfield, which was industrializing rapidly at the turn of the century.^[20]

By 1905, Noble Hospital had expanded to include a surgical center and a nurse's training school. Between 1917 and 1920, the hospital's medical staff treated hundreds of wounded World War I veterans and Spanish Influenza patients. It grew further in the interwar period and treated airmen from Westfield's Barnes Airport during World War II.^[21] In 1956, its trustees voted to construct a new hospital building. Westfield residents enthusiastically supported this decision, raising $1,500,000 to fund the construction of this new facility.^[22] The new Noble Hospital opened in 1958, and has expanded its services substantially over the past half century.^[22]

Current facilities and operations

In 2015, Noble Hospital joined Baystate Health and became Baystate Noble Hospital. The 97-bed facility now has an emergency center, a psychiatric ward, and an ICU.^[23] Services include intensive care, diagnostic imaging, cardiopulmonary services and rehab, emergency treatment, cancer services, lab and behavioral health.^[23] In 2015, the Cleverley & Associates Community Value Index recognized Noble Hospital as being in the top 20 percent of hospitals nationwide.^[24] In 2019 both the Telemetry Unit and the Intensive Care Unit of Noble Hospital were closed.^[25] Currently the mental health unit is scheduled to close in 2023.^[26]