| Show people support hospital f now in black rated cortez la Is the tho site of southwestern memorial hospital one of the most progressive hospitals in western colorado a community sponsored which has been operating vt i the black since 1951 the hospital a institution was opened in early 1948 after residents of the area subscribed sufficient funds to pay for the erection and materials since opening day more than patients have been cared for or although it has a capacity of 31 patients an influenza outbreak among the indians on the nearby near by ute reservation last november made it necessary to bed down 57 patients at on one time according to harry dark clark hospital manager we certainly have an private rooms then he relates the drive for funds with which to build the hospital was spear headed by the cortez lions club a feat which has endeared th the service club to the community equipment is modern modem the maternity section has an eight bed capacity and accommodations for 10 babies there arc are noK normally mally six beds in the childrens section but last winter 16 children were patients lien t s at one t time irne all from the ute reservation the laboratory is completely modern modem blood serology pathology and pregnancy tests are sent out however X rays likewise are sent out for reading it is an open staff hospital and any MD who is a member of the local and state medical ical association may practice there there are at mt present seven doctors on the staff prior to opening of the present hospital facilities for care of the sick were limited in the cortez area in about 1920 dr E E johnson opened a private hospital as a public service and it was operated by him until his death in 1942 montezuma county then took over management of the hospital but the facility was deemed inadequate to meet needs of the growing community it was then that the movement for construction of the present hospital was started at the head bead of the staff of nine nurses is mrs eva tulles graduate of the school of nursing of corwin hospital at pueblo she bad had acted as superintendent super of nurses at the johnson hospital during the latter year years of its existence and worked fis as clinical nurse for or dr L E maxwell at cortez until accepting her present in july of 1954 southwestern estem memorial hospital is fully credited and handles cases from the ute reservation both in colorado and utah it received a rating of excellent when last inspected by the state department of lle health alth it Is I 1 fourth in western colorado la in the number of blue cross patients handled and treated A large area Is served patients coining coming from uravan cravan N eucla nucla mcp 1 norwood the southeast corner of utah northeast corner of arizona and the northwest corner comer of new mexico rates are reasonable averaging per day tor for semiprivate te rooms and per day in wards aarde mr clark relates that business Is good but we dont like to a see people get sick during 1953 1951 the hospital operated at SO percent t 0 of f capacity and the 1954 r rate 8 te was even hi higher gher at times it was at percent of capacity for as much as two months at a time if there Is need for expansion of the hospital mr clark feels the people of montezuma county and 0 of cortex cortez will support the cause but let us hope expansion necessary except because of the growth of population wo we like to know that people are healthy but ware were ready to treat them when they are III be he comments |
