Shenandoah Memorial Hospital

The following are excerpts from an article written, circa 1971, by the late Dr. Erwin J. Gottsch, prominent local physician, who first opened his practice in 1919.  He was a graduate of the State University of Iowa Medical School, and received his surgical training in Montreal and Winnipeg, Canada.  He practiced general surgery, and used radium in early cancer cases, having studied under Madame Currie, the discoverer of radium, in Paris.

Well over a hundred years ago, Dr. B.M. Webster came to Shenandoah and established the first medical practice.  He had formerly practiced at Manti, in Fremont County.

Ten other practitioners of the healing arts came up to the turn of the century.  Some were self-appointed doctors, whose knowledge consisted of having read some medical books in other doctor’s offices for a few months or a year.  Some were Homeopaths, and a few were regulars.  One was an American Indian who anglicized his name to William Crawford, and was fairly successful with the administration of root and herb concoctions.

In 1883 and 1884, Shenandoah and the surrounding area had a scourge of typhoid fever.  The cause was unknown and was left to general speculation at the time.  It was in 1883 that the volcano Krakatow, in the Sumatra Straits, exploded and finely divided volcanic ash was carried around the world.  Many attributed the typhoid scourge to this natural phenomenon.  Local doctors administered liberal portions of black-berry brandy which, at least, made the patients’ last hours on earth more bearable, and as embalming was seldom done, the brandy did much to preserve the corpse until burial.

Shenandoah had a pest house where many of these sufferers, who had no families were confined until their death.  It was a one room structure with a cannon ball stove for heat.  From 1882 to 1886 Shenandoah had an epidemic of smallpox and the pest house once more performed its function.  A mid-wife who had had the disease took care of the patients for which she was paid one dollar per day.

This is an excerpt from the April 12, 1916 Tri-Weekly Sentinel Post:

The will of Mrs. Catherine L. Hand was admitted to probate Monday morning at Clarinda, signed and witnessed November 2, 1911.

The will provides for four funds, $10,000 given outright to the six Ribble children, nieces and nephews of Mrs. Hands; $10,000 to be held in trust and the income to be given to Ed F. Rose until his death when it goes to the Ribble children; $25,000 to be used for the purchase of a site and the erection of a hospital building.  All the remainder of the estate to be invested by George Bogart, executor, and the income therefrom used for the maintenance of the hospital which is to be maintained as a non sectarian institution and managed by a self perpetuating board of trustees consisting of George Bogart, Lynn J. Putnam and Anna J. Crose.

With the opening of the Hand Hospital in 1918, there was a mad rush by some of the local doctors to take a two week postgraduate course at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.  The subject matter was in order to learn how to remove the tonsils and appendix in keeping with our new scientific structure on the hill.  This quickly learned surgery was, of course, detrimental to the recipients of the same. 

A good dose of castor oil was the usual remedy for any kind of bellyache.  As a result there were many ruptured appendices, a condition seldom seen today.  Because of the castor oil home treatment, when these people arrived at the hospital the mortality rate was high.  Many people (as a result) felt that a trip to the hospital was certain death and insisted on the operation in their own home.

The 1918 hospital had very simple equipment with no laboratory or X-ray facilities.  There was only a skylight in the operating room for day time illumination of the operative field.  One day while an electrical storm was in progress, the contiguous chimney was struck and a brick came through the glass.  The surgeon just beat the brick to the patient by a split second.  A perfect field job for a surgeon whose sand lot baseball days were far behind him.  The patient lived, the skylight was closed, and a new French-style operating light was installed.

By 1920 there were 13 doctors in Shenandoah:  Dr. Barnes who specialized in X-ray treatments; Dr. Willis Stotler who did a general practice (he was a natty dress, always wore a blue serge suit, white shirt and black tie); Dr. M.O. Brush, general practice; and Dr. J.O. Weaver, who specialized in eye, ear, nose and throat.

Dr. Aldrich and Dr. Putnam did considerable surgery in an old residence at 102 Clarinda Avenue.  Dr. Aldrich carried the still anesthetized patient up the stairs to a bed, no elevator being available.

There was Dr. Armitage, Dr. A.O. Wirsig, Dr. Baker, and Dr. G.L. Smith, who did general practice but was more interested in geology than medicine.  He wrote a monograph on the geology of Southwestern Iowa, which has considerable value historically.

Dr. Kerlin was here, as was Dr. Jensen for a few years.  Jensen had obtained a 10 milligram plaque of radium (about the size to treat a wart) but this did not deter him from advertising that he was an expert in its use, and he applied it at random to terminal cases.  He left precipitately one night, a day before the Iowa State Board authorities appeared to check on his activities.

It is amazing to note the varied types of surgery performed at the Hand Hospital by the local doctors.  With mud roads, it would have been fatal to move a severe traumatic case, ruptured appendix or perforated ulcer, to Omaha or Iowa City.

“The local doctors had to perform and do it fast.  I remember three skulls that had to be opened to tie off bleeding vessels in the brain cavity, following kicks by a horse or mule, and they all lived.  A bullet through the lung was successfully operated upon.  An occasional ruptured spleen or liver was operated on by local doctors, and I have no recollection of any deaths in this category.  All this without benefit of antibiotics.  A surgeon was trained in those days to handle anything.” –Gottsch

By 1976, changes in medical care and advances in equipment available to provide that care prompted the hospital board of directors to explore methods of updating Hand Community Hospital.  After a great deal of research, the board decided to begin a major fund raising drive within the community which would allow for the building a new facility.

Responding to the board’s criteria for flexibility, optimum staffing, and easy expansion, the architect team developed a very efficient 44-bed replacement facility.  Utilizing the all-private room’s concept, the new facility will achieve a much higher occupancy rate than the current 51-bed semi-private hospital.  This concept eliminates problems of incompatibility between patients due to sex, smoking/non-smoking, age, illness, visitor disturbance, contamination, and privacy for doctor-patient consultation.  –Excerpt from Evening Sentinel story.

A gift of 10 acres of land from Jack Foster, plus an adjoining 1.2 acres gifted by Edward May, began the successful drive, which raised the $1.1 million necessary to begin construction of a new $3.5 million hospital building.  The remaining funding was obtained through the selling of bonds.  No taxpayer dollars were used to build the facility.

Dedication of the hospital, renamed Shenandoah Memorial Hospital in honor of the contributions from the community was held on December 2, 1979.  Transfer of patients from the old facility marked the opening of the new 44-bed facility at 300 Pershing Avenue on December 5, 1979.

Approximately 3,000 people attended the open house dedication.  Members of the SMH Board of Directors were J.C. Irvin, president, Howard Killion, Martha Evans, John Liljedahl, John Tinly, John Kidd and Gordon Jones.

In the winter of 1993, officials at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital announced plans for an aggressive expansion project that would provide state-of-the-art treatment of cancer and kidney dysfunction.

The hospital administration was authorized by the board of directors to enter into a collaborative venture with Bishop Clarkson Memorial Hospital of Omaha, Nebraska, to provide cancer treatment services and hemodialysis services at SMH.

Shenandoah Memorial Hospital agreed to construct a 3,360 square foot addition to house a cancer treatment center, and Clarkson agreed to lease the addition.  In order to provide hemodialysis services at SMH, the administration announced that the hospital would remodel eight existing patient rooms, and Clarkson agreed to lease. 

On July 17, 1994, the $400,000 Clarkson Cancer Institute and Kidney Center was dedicated.

Another expansion project envisioned in 1993 was the remodeling of the existing obstetrics department to include two birthing suites that will comprise the SMH Birthing Center.

No sooner had the $3.5 million Shenandoah Memorial Hospital opened its brand new doors to the thousands who attended the dedication and open house on Sunday, December 2, 1979, and then president of the SMH Board of Directors J.C. Irvin proclaimed it was “built for the people by the people”, the face of health care was soon to change.  From the opening of Hand Hospital in 1918 and the new Shenandoah Memorial Hospital, acute care-i.e., hospitalization-was the standard medical care of the times.  But soon advancements in medical care and technology, availability of services and specialist traveling to small town hospitals, and changes in insurance coverage resulted in a rapid escalation to outpatient treatment.

The Shenandoah Memorial Hospital welcomed and adapted to the changes; however, incorporating both acute care and outpatient services into one facility.  On October 22, 1997, the 19,929 sq. ft. Shenandoah Outpatient Center broke ground.  The project was completed in November 1998. 

Throughout the years SMH continued to upgrade and remodel the hospital to include new services for the community, including Turnbull Therapy, Senior Solutions, Personal Training, WomanCare and a beautiful Serenity Garden. 

In November 2004, the brand new Disease Prevention & Wellness Center was completed.  It houses Turnbull Therapy, Personal Training, Aquatic Therapy, Diabetes Education and MassageTherapy.

In 2005, SMC recruited several physicians including 2 surgeons and another  OB/GYN.  In early 2006, the new women's health clinic, WomanCare, was completed after months of renovations.  The new clinic is equipped with modern technology and promotes overall health needs for women.