Iredell Health System Celebrates 70 Years of Healing

“I am glad that this hospital stands high upon a hill, where people can see it from afar. It is a beacon of hope, a symbol of confidence, and an assurance of help in the time of need.”

Seven decades ago, on May 1, Rev. Ralph H. Kimball proclaimed those exact words to more than 1,000 people at Iredell Memorial Hospital’s dedication and grand opening ceremony. That same weekend, 9,000 Iredell County residents came to tour their new hospital.

More than 70 years ago, a group of local citizens saw the community need to construct a brand-new hospital that would provide quality healthcare for all. They envisioned a hospital that was built with public funds, staffed largely with community members, and dedicated to the wellbeing of the community it serves.

Their vision paved the way for Iredell Memorial Hospital to open its doors to the public on May 1, 1954. As stated in an article written about the opening, Iredell Memorial Hospital was “a gift of the people, to the people.”

While there have been many changes and advancements over the years, including the hospital becoming a larger health system, there have only been five administrators — W.P Walthers, Virginia Ashburn, S. Arnold Nunnery, Ed Rush, and current President and CEO, John Green. Each of these leaders have certainly contributed to the organization’s success. It is because of their leadership and dedication to fulfilling the mission set forth in 1954 that the health system continues to grow and prosper today.

In addition to the leadership of dedicated administrators, Iredell Health System is also led by a Board of Directors, elected by a Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees are a diverse group of Iredell County citizens who represent various townships within the county. They are citizen advocates and connect the health system to the community. When the Board of Trustees was first enacted, there were 60 members. Now, there are nearly 160 members, all of whom have volunteered to better serve their community.

Healthcare has inevitably changed in the last 70 years, and it will continue to change. Throughout the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, Iredell Health System has adapted and led the way in Iredell County, investing in the latest technology and implementing the programs and services that the community has needed.

Through the years, Iredell Health System has expanded in both size and scope to meet the growing needs of Iredell and the surrounding counties. Iredell became not just a hospital but an entire health system, complete with provider practices, urgent care clinics, a nonprofit foundation, surgery centers, a wound care center, corporate wellness clinics, and other treatment facilities spanning across seven towns and cities.

When Iredell Memorial Hospital first opened, it had 100 patient beds. After renovations and additions, notably the 1972 and 1986 additions, the facility has grown to a 247-bed hospital. In 1954, the hospital employed 34 physicians and surgeons, 64 registered nurses and nurse assistants, and 47 non-clinical employees. Now, the health system employs over 1,800 team members, and has been named one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America for the past two years.

One of the most significant changes came in 2006 when the Iredell Physician Network was formed. Over the years, Iredell Physician Network has added several physician practices and providers. There are currently 47 Iredell Physician network providers at 24 practices and corporate wellness clinics.

The years 2020 and 2021 came with both seen and unforeseen changes. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic reshaped healthcare. Since the start of the pandemic, Iredell Memorial Hospital has cared for close to 3,000 patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis. The health system also served as a mass vaccination site, administering approximately 65,000 COVID-19 vaccines to citizens.

In 2021, Iredell Health System also opened its $38.4 million facility, Iredell Mooresville, the first building of Iredell Health System’s southern 17.2 acre-campus on Bluefield Road in Mooresville.

Recently, to meet the growing needs of the community after the closure of Davis Regional Medical Center, Iredell Memorial Hospital expanded its emergency department by nearly 5,000 square feet and the critical care unit by over 11,000 square feet. The new portion of the emergency department is anticipated to be open to patients later this month.

Though there have been many changes over the last seven decades — Iredell Health System’s dedication to the wellbeing of its community has never faltered. In fact, in 2023 alone, Iredell Health System’s community impact was over $211 million.

Through expansion and growth, Iredell Health System has continued to maintain its hometown roots, never forgetting where it started and who has helped along the way.

As the organization commemorates its 70^th anniversary this year, Iredell Health System reaffirms its commitment to innovation, excellence, and patient-centered care for the next 70 years and beyond. From hopeful beginnings to becoming a cornerstone of Iredell County healthcare, Iredell Health System has remained steadfast in its mission to enhance the health and wellbeing of those they serve.

“Iredell is a special organization, and I am so excited to see us get to this monumental celebratory birthday,” said Green. “As noted in 1954, we were started with an important objective — the improved health and wellness of our community. While the complexities in healthcare have certainly become more significant and complicated, that directive has not and will not change. We have remained a locally owned and operated nonprofit healthcare organization with an important goal of keeping quality healthcare local and we intend to continue to do so for many years to come.”

An Excerpt from the Statesville Daily Record – April 30, 1954
This is Iredell Memorial Hospital, gift of the people to the people.

This is the brick, the stone, and the steel — and more. It is the rolling oak-clad site. It is the hope, the faith and skill that first provided the plan; the bone, the brawn and muscle that wrought them all together.

This, then, is the hospital — my hospital, your hospital, our hospital — refuge from pain for many, escape from death for some; gateway into life for the newborn, exit from this earth for those whose course is run.

The physical work is now done, 13 months and $1,300,000 from the beginning. The last brick has been laid, the last piece of equipment put in place. The edifice is complete. It stands ready for dedication.

Not to the past, with its discord and friction, its frustration and failure. Nor to the present, with its division and its confusion. But to the future, full of hope and of promise.

Not to the few, but to the many. To the long lines waiting patiently to see a doctor; to the lame, the halt and the sick seeking the healing touch of a trained hand. To the weary and overburdened, to the victim of misfortune and violence, to the helpless overtaken by disease.

And, finally, may it be dedicated to the service of the people of Iredell County. May no one ever be turned away in pain for want of influence or money; nor anyone ever be held to account for showing too much compassion and too little profit...all to the end that Iredell Memorial Hospital may never become either a glorified county home or a modified country club.