The mission of Crawford County Memorial
Hospital is to provide efficient and effective health
care services to all persons within Crawford County
and the surrounding area. These services are available
to persons who suffer from acute or chronic diseases,
traumatic injuries, or who are in need of education
and/or training in order to maintain a positive
lifestyle.
Crawford County Memorial Hospital will demonstrate our
concern for the human body, mind, and spirit in a
caring atmosphere. We will foster a progressive
Medical Staff; encourage our personnel to maximize
their capabilities; and promote volunteer efforts to
enhance our mission.
To fulfill our mission, we will cooperate with other
health care organizations and agencies, where
appropriate.
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Fifty years is a long time, and many changes
have come about since the Crawford County
Memorial Hospital opened in 1951.
When the hospital first opened, it had 50 beds,
66 employees and a budget of $188,424. The
majority of the care at that time was provided
on an inpatient basis. Over time, there were a
number of additions, and the total number of
beds peaked at 72.
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| Today, much more care is provided on an
outpatient basis. We currently operate as a critical
access hospital with 25 beds, 166 employees and an
annual budget of approximately $15,000,000.
In 1951, patients admitted for cataract surgery
could expect to be hospitalized for two weeks for each
eye. With today's technology, this is an outpatient
procedure that only requires the patient to be in the
hospital for a matter of hours. Gall bladder surgery
used to require up to ten days in the hospital and
major abdominal surgery. Most of the time, these
patients receive care utilizing minimally invasive
surgery on an outpatient basis.
In the 1950s, the only major insurance carrier was
Blue Cross, and they covered about 16 percent of the
patients. The Medicare and Medicaid programs did not
start until 1965.
Today, 61 percent of the inpatients are covered by
medicare, 18 percent of the inpatients are covered by
various commercial companies, and nine percent of the
inpatients are covered by Blue Cross.
Over the years, many changes have occurred. One
thing that has remained constant is the high quality
of care that our dedicated employees administer to our
patients. We want area residents to get the best
possible care here in their own community. "We
care for life." |
