Lourdes Celebrates a Century of Service
by Press Release (July 30, 2005)
The first unit of organized healthcare in Paducah was Riverside Hospital, built on the Civil War site of Fort Anderson at the corner of Fourth and Clay Streets in 1905. The city-owned hospital experienced the historic 1937 flood, followed by a fire that destroyed the facility’s rear wing.
The Diocese of Owensboro purchased Riverside in 1959, and on September 18, seven nuns arrived to operate the hospital which was renamed Lourdes. A daily diary kept by one of the sisters recorded that they experienced a grand welcome, and that Sister Gerard unexpectedly delivered a baby and “now feels very much at home.”
As the population grew, the old building at 4th and Clay became inadequate, and plans were underway by the late 1960’s for a modern new facility on Lone Oak Road. With the opening of the new hospital in January 1973, a new era in service to the region began.
Today, Lourdes offers the region’s only bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery), inpatient physical rehabilitation unit, behavioral health center, dialysis, and hospice. The Lourdes Heart and Vascular Centers have achieved many area “firsts” in cardiovascular care.
The Marshall Nemer Pavilion on the Lourdes campus opened in October 2004 and houses physicians’ office space, outpatient services, registration, and a community meeting room. The 133-square foot project was named for long-time board member and volunteer Marshall Nemer who died in 2002.
A plaza connects the pavilion to the lobby of the hospital and contains the region’s only Starbucks, Subway, an expanded gift shop, a computer resource center for the public, and the Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel.
The hospital’s Operative Care Center renovation was also completed in 2004 and included the addition of holding room beds, endoscopy beds, and an enlarged family waiting room. An MRI Imaging Center and third Cardiac Cath Lab will open in July 2005.
“The numerous expansion projects in the last few years were designed to facilitate an increase in patient volumes while ensuring efficiency, convenience, and comfort for visitors,” commented Dr. William Wheeler, president and CEO.
A summer of celebration in honor of Lourdes 100th anniversary will begin with a Mass celebrated by Bishop John McRaith at St. Thomas More Catholic Church on June 21. A birthday party in the Marshall Nemer Pavilion on July 21 and several events in conjunction with the Paducah Summer Festival will honor the hospital’s century of service to the region.
Dr. Wheeler remarked about Lourdes future, “I always emphasize our commitment to quality patient care and continued physical plant growth to accommodate our increasing volume of patients. And I think the spirit of service and giving I first experience here in 1979 will always be a part of Lourdes. It’s what makes us stand out among hospitals.”
Sr. Lucy Bonifas, a 36-year Lourdes employee, reminisced, “The blessings I’ve experience here have far exceeded anything I’ve done. God will never be outdone. He is an awesome God, and we have a lot to celebrate!”
|
