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Rochester General Hospital

Milestones Vol 30. No. 4

by Karen Helbling

The Beaver County General Hospital, Rochester, was founded in 1899 as a semi-private institution.

Shortly after it opened the name was changed to the Rochester General Hospital. On March 11, 190l, a fire partically destroyed
the building.

In 1902 the hospital was turned over to a Board of Directors. Original members were Drs. Rose, Allen, Gibson, Boal, Baker, Wickham, Scroggs, Gormley, Shugert, Armstrong, and Ague.

With a state-obtained appropriation of $14,000, an equal amount was also raised and a modern building constructed. In 1922 an annex was built. The hospital was ranked the leading and best equipped hospital in the state at this time.

In this 1913 photograph, Dr. Shugert's automobile and Dr. Cloak's horse and buggy are pictured

In the years 1938-1943, the hospital was able to operate without a deficit. Because of the financial and physical progress of the hospital during these years, industrial leaders of Beaver County led a drive to raise $37,500 for improvements to the kitchen and laundry buildings and for other general improvements.

The large industrial growth of Beaver Valley during W.W.II caused a serious bed shortage. The US government built a 48-bed addition to the building that was completed in 1943. A complete lab and X-ray department was also added.

This hospital became part of the Medical Center of Beaver County in 1972.