Franklin County
Medical Center is owned by Franklin County and consists of a 20-bed
hospital and an attached 45-bed Transitional and long term care unit.
FCMC operates under the direction of its Administrator who is lead by
a Governing Board of Trustees appointed by the Franklin County
Commissioners. Franklin County Medical Center is a modern, well
equipped non-profit rural health care facility serving the residents
of Franklin County. FCMC has been designated as a Medicare Critical
Access Hospital.
“Pioneers in Health
Care”
On April 14, 1860,
thirteen pioneer families settled in the Northern end of Cache Valley
in what was to be known as Franklin County, Idaho. Over the years
that followed, other hard working self sufficient pioneers settled in
the area and began to build their dreams and homes. This was a time
of great change. In the matter of health care, first came private
homes that were opened for three to four maternity patients. In 1915,
these pioneers had their first “Hospital” which consisted of a few
rooms over the old Foss Drug Store. In 1928, a group incorporated to
build a stately privately-owned hospital known as the “Preston
Memorial Hospital.” The building at this time was completed on March
31, 1929. This private corporation ran the hospital until early in
1953 when a bond election passed early in the year and “The Franklin
County General Memorial Hospital” was born in 1954.
Remodeling to
Modernize
The county assumed
responsibility for the operation of the hospital in 1954. The
hospital board voted to turn the stock held by them over to the county
if the county would guarantee continuous operations. The impressive
name change came at that time as the hospital became Franklin County
Hospital and Nursing Home. As the county assumed the operation of the
hospital, there was an extensive remodeling job done to modernize the
facility. kitchen and laundry facilities.
The 1954
enlargement retained the 1929 hospital, but added patient rooms,
office facilities, a nursery, surgery, delivery and labor rooms, clean
areas for sterile support, central supply and storage closets. The
old rooms upstairs were used for storage and available for an overflow
census. This new hospital was dedicated on October 27, 1954. The
total cost of the renovation amounted to $130,000. In 1972 remodeling
again began. It started with the demolition of the 1929 care center.
Pharmacy, emergency rooms at the entrance, lab, and x-ray facilities,
office areas, doctors’ lounge and an updating of the surgery suite
with a facade were all accomplished. The biggest change was the
addition of a 34 bed nursing home plus treatment room, med room,
classroom, dining room, new kitchen and laundry facilities and the
impressive name of Franklin County Hospital and Nursing Home.
1985 brought a $2.6 million construction and
another name change to Franklin County Medical Center. This
construction resulted in a larger, designed kitchen with salad bar and
service counter, larger dining facilities, a center courtyard,
enlarged storage area, combined with central supply and purchasing,
maintenance, nursing, administration offices, waiting room accessible
to all pertinent areas, rest rooms, physical therapy, respiratory
therapy, emergency entrance with exam rooms, tub room and trauma
care. Other areas were updated such as the sterile area for surgery,
delivery and labor rooms, recovery room and nurses’ and doctors’
lounges, large blanket warmer and autoclave with clean-up areas. A
complete pharmacy was adjacent.
In September of 1999, Franklin County
Medical Center completed the new addition for a CT Scanner and added
office space.
“Continuing the Legacy of Healing” has truly been
the vision of those involved in the health care here in Franklin
County. This facility has enjoyed continued growth and success
through the years and will maintain the standard of care to keep
abreast of new developments and services in an effort to provide the
best care possible to the residents of Southern Idaho and Northern
Utah.
