JCH hosted open house

Twenty-five years ago this week, Jay County Hospital was getting ready to show off its new look.

The April 12, 1996, edition of The Commercial Review featured a story about the remodeled, redecorated and reorganized Jay County Hospital, which was planning an open house for the approaching weekend.

The construction project at the hospital had just been completed after about a year and a half of work. In addition to celebrating its completion, the community was set to celebrate Jay County Hospital’s 90th anniversary.

Remodeling work began in October 1994 after the community donated more than $500,000 toward the $2 million project. The work included adding a specialty referral center, renovating and redecorating the emergency room, creating a new entrance and conference room area, upgrading the radiology department and remodeling the obstetrics department, nursery and nursing stations on the second floor.

“We want to thank the people of the community for donating the money for the project,” said hospital CEO Tom Valerius. “It had been 18 years since the hospital was built and it was time to give it a facelift. It was already a very nice building and the additions and decorating make it more attractive.

The weekend celebration was to include an invocation and opening ceremony, tours, musical performances, hot air balloon rides, finger painting and displays featuring hospital history, the HealthQuest Van and Samaritan helicopter. In addition to the hospital itself, tours were also available of the new Jay Emergency Medical Service facility and the medical office building east of the hospital.