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History & Vision

History

East Liverpool Health System owes its existence to a group of women of the community “who saw the great need of a hospital.” The turn of the century was a boom time for East Liverpool, the center of the U.S. pottery industry. The city’s many potteries turned out dinnerware by the millions of dozens, boasting “we set the tables of America.” Yet surgeries were performed in doctor’s offices and nursing care was provided in private homes.

The City Hospital Association was organized Jan. 30, 1896, by a group of the city’s leading women, meeting in the old YMCA building on W. Fifth St. The association was chartered by the state that same year. Property on Wall Street was purchased March 18, 1897, but no building funds became available and that land eventually was sold. The present site was acquired in September 1903.

Community Health

Through funds raised by these concerned women, the first hospital building was erected on Sixth Street at a cost of $25,000. Opened Jan. 1, 1905, it had 52 beds in wards and 12 private rooms. Care was provided by student nurses in the hospital’s Training School of Nursing under supervision of head nurses and a superintendent. The average length of stay during this era was 28 days; the number of patients admitted each year was less than 300.

The First Addition to the hospital was erected in 1911 on Fifth Street, followed by the Fireproof Addition (West Wing) in 1931. A major building program after W.W.II included the three-story North Wing (1954). The four-story Metsch-Harker Building behind the hospital was erected in 1964 for the nurse training program. A one-story addition to pediatrics and the employee cafeteria were added in 1966. The main hospital building, the six-story East Wing, was completed in 1977 at a cost of $11 million. A comprehensive $9 million renovation and construction project (1990-94) improved access, utilization and facilities.

In 2005, as it celebrated its 100th Anniversary, the hospital broke ground for its new North-East Addition. Investing more than $18 million in capital funds, the hospital expanded its emergency room services with a modern facility that includes private patient rooms, trauma beds, dedicated lab and x-ray services, an ortho clinic, isolation rooms and decontamination capabilities. The new ER became fully functional in 2007.

The new addition supports a rooftop helipad used to help transport patients to advanced trauma or specialty care facilities. The medical flight crew has direct elevator access to and from the emergency room so that patients can be transferred via air in rapid fashion.

The new addition also houses the 4NE wing of 12 private patient rooms. Recent renovations made most of the rooms on the fourth and fifth floors (except for ICCU) into private patient rooms. The new rooms increase patient privacy and help improve infection control measures.

East Liverpool Health System prides itself with its commitment of keeping current with technology and trends in healthcare. Its focus is on patient care and doing what best serves each one.

The hospital’s early administrators were a succession of nurse superintendents, the most notable of whom was Nell Robinson, who administrated City Hospital from 1929 to 1971. She was succeeded by Carl Ballerstein (1971-79), Bruce Nielsen (1979-89), Melvin R. Creeley (1989-2010) and Kenneth Cochran (2010-2015) and current CEO Keith Richardson (2016-).

Our Vision

To provide compassionate care and clinical excellence to all patients as we create hospitals that improve health care in every community we serve.

Our Mission

To deliver exceptional care to all and improve the health of our community.

These are our Values

Respect – We recognize the inherent value and unique contributions of each individual.

Integrity – We hold ourselves to the highest standards of moral and ethical values and principles, both personally and professionally.

Service – We are committed to satisfying the needs of others beyond their expectations.

Excellence – We will cultivate and perpetuate a spirit of inquiry and creativity, leading to outstanding evidence based healthcare and excellence in medical education.

Stewardship – We will use wise and effective talent and resources in a collaborative manner to advance and achieve our goals and mission.