OCR Text |
Show UVRMC developed by community dreams, work By JANET HART Daily Herald Lifestyle Editor longtime family physician or from the medical services in Salt Lake Now a prominent figure along the State Street corridor through Proo. Utah Valley Regional Medical Center was born almost 57 years ago through the dreams and hard work of the entire community. The doors to Provo's first modern then called Utah Valley hospital officially opened Sept. Hospital 10. 1939. But the struggle to create the facility began almost seven years prior to that date. To understand how difficult it was get support for a hospital, it may help to take a look at how people viewed hospitals and doctors in general in the early part of the l9(X)s. billing the 19th century, women were responsible for the home which included everything from cooking dinner to the health of each family member. Family and friends were called on to help nurse the sick. Midwives attended baby deliveries since at the time it was considered a lime of female-bondin- g and immoral for a male doctor to be alone with a woman in such an intimate setting. "In the I9ih and early 20th centuries, medical care was basically a guessing game intended to poke the body and find effective treatments. Basic body mechanisms and structure were not yet well understood in some which often resulted unorthodox treatments." stales a UVRMC history compiled at the request of Intermountain Health Care approximately three years ago. "Even in Utah Valley during the 1930s, hospitals were often viewed as simply a place to die in. not a facility providing the means and technology to make one well." it continues. When a family did decide to seek medical help, it was usually from a City. WAGONS: "Obviously, buggies can't make the company any money nowadays." states Steve. At its current location on University Ave.. Ahlanders distributes to most major sporting goods stores, hardware stores, warehouses and in stores the grocery Intermountain West. It currently ships goods to Nevada. Wyoming. Idaho. Montana and Utah. The company has also moved into such foreign markets as China. Canada and Mexico. And what about the future'.' It's clear that the company is in eood hands so far. Michael and Steve each have sons which have started sweeping the shop and dusting the furniture the lessons of hard work and of adapting to the market's needs are already being taught. Hard work sets the tone for the family. In fact. Michael and Steve's mother. Elaine Ahlander. still keeps the finances for the business and participates in the workings of the fami 55-be- d. (Continued from Page 89) Hardware Store, and finally, its current name. Ahlander W holesale Co appropriately representing, as it has in all ages, the thrust of the company "s business. The company is now. and has been for some time, dedicated to vv holesale distributing. Any sporting good, hardware item or automotive part can be ordered from the Provo business. With the changing of the guards came an increase in additional products handled by the company. And now. with the fourth generation holding the reigns, the Ahlander sons have tapped into an international market as changes and challenges are met and new business networks are formed. That seems to be the success of the Ahlander family company in general. The family business can and does change vv ith the needs of the market. 90 the predominant Mormon culture in Utah Valley also contributed to the skepticism towards doctors and hospitals. In 1846. Brigham Young wrote a letter to the leaders of the Mormon Battalion saying sick people should live by faith and "let the surgeon's medicine alone." Because of the geographic isolation of Utah. Mormons had a great amount of control over their communities and could dictate what kind of health care was available. Despite that condition, doctors did manage to practice in the state although most did have to come to terms with working closely w ith the beliefs of the locals. . Near the end of the 19th century, attitudes began to change with people deciding they must do all they can on their own. even seeing a doctor, before they could receive divine help with their health problems. So. by the second decade of the 20th century, most people could see the benefits of having a local hospital. In fact, some had even experienced a hospital setting. Provo General Hospital, the city 's first hospital opened with eight beds in 1903. The building was the former home of Abraham 0. Snioot and the hospital was owned and managed by the Provo Clinical Association, which orisinallv had three members Dr. John W. Aird. Dr. Fred W. Tay lor and Dr. George E. Robison. The facility remained open until Jan. I. 1923. when financial difficulties became too overwhelming. Indiv idual doctors were then forced to practice their specialties on their own. By 928. the need for a new hospital was beginning to be recognized. A report from the Provo Chamber of Commerce in that year emphasied the need for a facility supported by the community rather than a few doctors. In 1933, the chamber felt the need was "unquestionable." In fact, in its annual report for 1934, the chamber said, "Provo should stop talking, quit stalling and build a hospital." The chamber not only spoke about the need to build a hospital, it also made several attempts to get assistance from Provo City. Utah County and the Utah County Commission in establishing the facility. However, the government institutions claimed they were "financially and legally incapable of the demanding task." The Mormon Church had planned to build a hospital in Provo during the early 1930s, but those plans were abandoned for unknown reasons. However, the church's interest was kindled again in 1936 when it proposed to pledge $90,000 for combination with $60,000 collected from the community. As stated in the UVRMC history, the church "had always been sympathetic toward a hospital establishment. ..realizing the region's great need and the opportunity to supply serv ice to church members and others in the area." Ultimately, the church did not become the major financial contributor to the hospital. That role was given to the Commonwealth Fund of New York City with the church contributing some money and playing a major role in rally ing the community's support for the facility. The Commonwealth Fund was established in 1918 by Mrs. Stephen V. Harkness and existed to help less populated areas where hospital facilities were too demanding for the community to support alone. Dr. Fred W. Tay lor first contacted the organization and his son. Fred R. Tay lor, eventually became the com- - shop. The Ahlanders indeed have a bent for the challenging. A family business doesn't often survive in this hightech, networking world. There must be something taught and something shared from each generation that pushes the business forward. Maybe it's all those day s of sw eeping, may be not. But one thing is clear. Ahlanders can compete and survive as a successful distributing company in ly Prov o. And as in most family businesses, "dav is but a eight-hou- r the standard lofty dream. "You often don't know what an eight-hou- r day is." states Michael. "But the rewards far outweigh the sweat and toil that accomd pany a business." And what about the current owners ot Ahlanders? Well, thev don't consider themselves presidents or tamily-ovvne- EC) s. they still sweep the floors, fill the orders and devote time to enjoying the heritage which has been endowed to them. C munication link between the fund and the Provo Chamber of Commerce. The chamber completed an application with the Commonwealth Fund in 1935. After overcoming some hurdles involving community support, the application was approved with the stipulation that the area residents contribute $90,000. Once the financial situation was taken care of, the articles of incorporation for the hospital were written and an Executive Committee and General Board of Directors were elected. g Then the campaign started with a kick-of- f breakfast on July 12, 1937, under the direction of finance committee Chair John O. g Beesley. The plan consisted mainly of using strategically-chose- n persons to approach every business in Provo and Utah County. The businesses were then to meet with their employees and request their support in conjunction with a contribution from the business itself. Columbia Steel Company took the lead with a contribution of $7,500. A giant thermometer was built at the intersection of Center Street and 200 West to keep track of the efforts. The first posting of $17,000 was on July 15. 1937. and others followed July 21. $26,050; Aua. 9, $45,000: Aug. 18. S63.000 and Sept. 14, $65,000. Almost three months to the date g after the campaign began, Beesley announced the goal of $90,000 had been surpassed by $ .454.67. What was called the largest and most important civic project ever conducted in Provo had been successful and construction of the hospital besan in late Mav. 1938. at 100 N. 500 West. Provo. Editor !v note: The preceding information was compiled from Utah Valley Regional Medical Center: A History of , writ1939-199Community Sen-iceten by W. Dee Halverson, Douglas F. Tobler and Jennifer Walton. fund-raisin- fund-raisin- fund-raisi- fund-raisin- d 1 Campain aimed at preserving space By DONALD W. MEYERS The Daily Herald Nature Conservancy of Utah wants to celebrate Utah's Centennial by preserv ing open space and environmentally sensitive areas. The conservancy recently began efforts to acquire 56 areas in the state as part of its Utah Land Legacy with Campaign, timed to coincide the 100th anniversary of Utah's admission to the Union. The campaign is also a response to Gov. Mike" Leavitt's Growth Summit in late 1995. "Utah is growing fast. However, unlike in so" many other stales, still have a chance to safeguard our most significant natural lands." said former Dr. David Gardner, and University of Utah president member of the conserv aiicy national Board of Governor". |