The History of Healthcare in Hutchinson County
The Early Years
Golden Plains Community Hospital has a diverse and colorful history – one to match the county and city in which it resides.
Borger’s first two-story city/county hospital was built in the mid-1920s on the corner of Sixth and Weatherly. It had eighteen rooms, several large wards, an operating room, X-ray room, kitchen, dining room and doctors’ and nurses’ living quarters. The new hospital was opened prematurely on December 8, 1927 when a dynamite blast destroyed a half-block of businesses and people were injured from the flames. This building was eventually converted into an apartment building.
Modern Healthcare in 1930s Borger
The name of the county hospital was changed to North Plains Hospital while city and county officials were drafting plans for a new facility. The Borger Chamber of Commerce led the drive to locate the land, which later was donated to the county by Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Weatherly, early Borgans.
In 1937, the residents of Hutchinson County voted a $65,000 bond issue into play to establish a 25-bed North Plains Hospital. Local merchants and service clubs purchased most of the original furniture and equipment for the new hospital. It was constructed by C.S. Lambie on its present site at 200 S. McGee in Borger, Texas at a cost of $58,000.
Orvis Dean Box was the first baby to be born in the new hospital on October 26, 1937.
Moving Into the 1940s and 1950s
In 1941, there was a housing shortage in Borger, so In February of that year, the nurses’ home adjacent to the hospital was added at a cost of $17,900. In 1943, two wings were added to the hospital at a cost of $71,300 and in 1947, the two-story center wing was built at a cost of $148,683 plus $23,900 for a central heating system.
In 1958, the hospital, which served over 50,000 county residents, boasted 25 maternity beds, 40 surgery beds and 25 miscellaneous beds. Over 100 people were on-staff and 15 physicians served the community. In the late 1950s, the hospital again underwent renovation.
The Ups and Downs of the 1980s
On February 1, 1984, North Plains Hospital was sold to American Medical International [AMI]. AMI planned on spending $5 million on renovation of the facility above and beyond its purchase cost of $6 million. According to the June 21, 1984 edition of The Amarillo Globe News, “AMI took over the hospital until May 18 after a referendum on Jan. 21 showed 79 percent of the voters approved sale of the county-owned facility.”
After taking over the facility, AMI conducted a contest among county residents to rename the hospital. Diana Cline of Borger won the contest in May 1984 with the name, Golden Plains Community Hospital.
In 1986, AMI sold GPCH to Gateway Systems who undertook operations until September 27, 1988 when the hospital’s doors closed due to Gateway’s financial difficulties. Local citizens, led by Borgan Jerry Waggoner, took up the cause and held public meetings to discuss the need for a community hospital as well as alternatives. The committee worked diligently to inform the public about the option of bringing the Hutchinson County Hospital District into being.
On July 8, 1989, Hutchinson County voters passed the Hospital District issue with a five to one margin.
After Hutchinson County Hospital District became a reality on September 5, 1989 at noon on the steps of the Hutchinson County Courthouse in Stinnett, Texas, Hutchinson County Commissioners appointed the first Board of Directors: Jerry Waggoner, President; Jack King, Vice-President; Mark Mayberry, Secretary; Dr. Dane Welch, member; Dr. Ed Quiros, member; Tambre Lumpkin, member; and Deborah Summers, member. The hospital officially opened its doors for business on November 13, 1989.
The District purchased the hospital building for $2.5 million from Irving Trust Bank in New York City who had obtained the building from the Gateway Systems foreclosure. Brim & Associates was chosen as the management firm for the hospital in order to oversee the operations of the hospital. The firm managed GPCH until 1995. The hospital was then managed by its own administrative team.
1990s Growth
In 1996, Hutchinson County Hospital District took over the operation of the Women’s and Children’s Clinic which had previously been a project of the Texas Department of Health. In 1997, the District built the Fritch Medical Clinic in the nearby city of Fritch, Texas.
Moving Into the Future
The old nurses’ residence was torn down in 2000 and a new 6,000 square foot building, Golden Plains Medical Plaza at 202 S. McGee, was constructed. Three physicians conduct their practices in that building.
In October of 2007, Critical Access HealthCare, LLC, acquired ownership of Golden Plains Community Hospital. The Hutchinson County Hospital District, in partnership with CAH, continues to fund tax revenue to CAH through a contractual obligation at a rate of over $2.3 million per year. The HCHD Board was given 1/3 of the Hospital advisory Board seats and, together with CAH, helps to determine the management of funds. CAH acquired Golden Plains Community Hospital by assuming approximately $400,000 of debt and a commitment to building a replacement facility.
CAH is in the process of bringing a new facility to Hutchinson County while working diligently to provide the County and beyond with the finest in critical access healthcare. In 2008, over 200 employees work at GPCH, offering critical services to the area including Diagnostic Imaging, Emergency Services, Dietary Services, Home Health Care, Laboratory Services, Surgery Services, Obstetrics, Rehabilitation Services, Respiratory Care, Social Services and more.
The hospital is owned by GPCH. LLC dba Golden Plains Community Hospital with one sole entity being CAH.
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