Greene County General Hospital began as Freeman City Hospital. It was located corner of 4^th and Northeast A streets. The county’s first hospital was formed when Mr. and Mrs. Job Freeman donated their two-story, Neo-Jacobean style home to the City of Linton to be used as a city hospital.

On Feb. 7, 1928, the Linton City Council adopted an ordinance, together with the corresponding action by the Greene County Board of Commissioners, that provided for the transfer of the Freeman City Hospital to Greene County for the establishment of Freeman-Greene County Hospital. In 1929, it began operating as Freeman-Greene County General Hospital.

The original hospital contained 22 beds. Employees included two nurses, a cook, and a part-time janitor.  The size and quality of the hospital helped make Linton the center of the coal mining boom in the early 1900s. It also helped make Linton a steadily developing community.

From 1912 to 1974, more than 14,000 babies were born at the old hospital. This number is substantial, especially when taking into consideration many births took place at home during the hospital’s early years of operation. The life of every person in the area was involved in the old hospital in some way – whether it was through birth, illness, death.

The hospital’s first major expansion was in 1936 when an annex was completed. The annex included kitchen/cafeteria facilities, heating plant, and 32 beds.

The second expansion project was completed in 1954. This project included the addition of a surgical suite, delivery suite, X-ray department, clinical laboratory, emergency department, and 16 beds.

Construction on the new hospital was started Dec. 10, 1970. Greene County General Hospital opened its doors in April 1974. It is located at 1185 N 1000 W – which is more commonly known as Lone Tree Road.

The new Greene County General Hospital included an intensive care unit for coronary and post-surgical patients as well as enlarged x-ray, laboratory, and therapy facilities.

In 1997, Greene County General Hospital’s Ambulatory Infusion Center was opened. The infusion center – which offers patients a variety of infusion therapy options – is located across from the hospital in the Lone Tree Medical Center.

In 1999, the obstetric department was completely renovated offering new labor and delivery rooms as well as new recovery rooms.

In 2003, Greene County General Hospital obtained a critical access hospital status, which limits the number of inpatient beds to 25.

In February 2012, the hospital announced plans for a $6.5 million expansion/renovation which will add approximately 8,500 square feet of space to the facility. The project will primarily expand the emergency department; however, the main entrance, lab, radiology, pharmacy, and physical therapy will also be expanded and/or renovated.

In addition to inpatient care, the hospital currently offers a variety of services including: OB, emergency room, radiology, laboratory, intensive critical care, surgery, infusion services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, speech therapy, pharmacy, and nutrition services.

The hospital also offers an outpatient clinic. Specialty clinics offered through the outpatient clinic include: cardiology, surgery, oncology/hematology, neurology, pulmonary, and orthopedics.

Several employees took part in Relay for Life, including Kathy Laughlin, Diane Brown, Brenda Reetz, Halea Franklin, and Joyce Syester.

Employees taking part in Relay for Life were: Barb Adams, Dr. Owen and Sally Batterton, Danielle Bredeweg, Diane Brown, Kristin Crynes, Juanita Egnew, June Herndon, Brenda Reetz, Jane Robbins, Joyce Syester, Mary Beth Tegnell and family, Melissa Toon and team co-captains Kathy Laughlin and Halea Franklin.

To raise money for the event, the team sold Relay for Life logo feet, which were displayed throughout the hospital. They team also hosted a Zumbathon and silent auction.

“Greene County General Hospital was a big part of the success of the 2012 Relay for Life. The hospital came on board as a top sponsor this year, and was well represented by walkers at the event who walked through the night,” said American Cancer Society Community Representative Thomas Ulmet. “The hospital staff and their family and friends each did their part through fundraising, becoming one of the top fundraising teams as well. Thank you to all the supporters at GCGH!”

Chief Nursing Officer Lea Ann Camp, Administrative Assistant Kathy Laughlin, and other women participating in the walk donned men’s work boots and walked a mile around the Greene County courthouse while men – including hospital board members Steve Lindsey and Rick Graves – sported high heels, flip flops, and even bright pink tennis shoes.

While the event raised awareness for sexual assault, it also raised funds which will be used to train a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) nurse. The role of the SANE nurse is not only to preserve the dignity of the victim but also to collect evidence that links the victim to the suspect.

House Bill 1654, which was passed in 2007, requires a variety of things when it comes to sex crimes. One of the requirements was that the prosecuting attorney had to appoint a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) in the county.

The SANE nurse training course is 40 hours. It also requires the nurse to spend time with law enforcement officials and the prosecutor as well as administering exams. Unfortunately, training isn’t available locally. The nurse will likely have to travel to Ohio, Missouri, or even as far as Texas to attend the training course.

Prior to the beginning of the walk, Greene County Prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw read a proclamation signed by Lindsey, who is president of the Greene County Commissioner’s. The proclamation declared April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The proclamation pointed out that every 45 seconds someone in the United States is sexually assaulted and in Indiana 14.4 percent of women have been raped at some time in their lifetime.

In Greene County, 12 sexual assault cases were filed in 2012. Statistically, approximately 64 percent of sexual assault crimes are unreported in Indiana.

“We must work together to educate our entire population about what can be done to eradicate and prevent sexual assault, support survivors and victims alike, to ensure that they are given the help that they need to ensure they are not re-victimized,” the proclamation read in part. “With dedication and resolve from Greene County staff and volunteers in Indiana, we can be successful in reducing crimes against citizens living in Indiana through a heightened state of awareness and holding perpetrators accountable for their acts of violence.”

Those receiving scholarships were: Diane Brown, an emergency room nurse; Kristin Crynes, an emergency room nurse; Shannon Felker, a ward secretary who is pursuing  a nursing degree; and Gina Fish, a radiology technologist.

“We are a small town, rural hospital, but our technology is not,” said Martina Steele-Swaby, who is head of the hospital’s radiology department.

The ultrasound machine will be utilized to capture many different images, including, but not limited to: OB, thyroid, gall bladder, breast, and aorta.

The hospital’s radiology technicians boast more than 100 years of combined experience. In addition, the hospital has an in house radiologist five days a week.

One of the changes was forming Greene County Health, a physician group with offices located in Bloomfield, Linton, and Worthington.
Greene County Health-Worthington (formerly Worthington Family Medicine) has been operated by the hospital for several years. Greene County Health-Bloomfield (formerly the practice of Owen Batterton, MD) was acquired on April 1. Greene County Health-Linton (formerly Southern Indiana Family Practice and Obstetrics) was acquired on Aug. 15. The group offers full spectrum family medicine and employs three physicians, two nurse practitioners, a physician’s assistant and 20 additional healthcare professionals.
Greene County General Hospital, LLC Director of Operations Randy Padgett said the group was formed in an effort to attract more physicians to the area.

“Kids coming out of college don’t want an individual practice. They want a group setting. They want to come into a practice with experienced physicians to work with and learn from and also share call with,” Padgett said.

Corey Sparks, who serves as Director of Marketing/Human Resources, is tasked with physician recruiting.

“Employing physicians is the trend in the current healthcare environment. The reason physicians want to be employed is that it allows them to practice medicine without dealing with the headaches the business side can bring. It lets physicians to do what they were trained to do. The employment model is much more attractive to younger physicians,” Sparks said.

Sparks said the goal is to increase the number of providers with the possibility of adding additional clinics.

“We want to grow so that we can better meet the needs of the residents of Greene County and the surrounding area,” Sparks said.

“We are going to be providing a renovation within the bounds of the hospital as well as an extension to our emergency room services. The reason for the renovation is we have outgrown ourselves in several departments, like physical therapy, pharmacy, lab, and X-ray,” explained Greene County General Hospital Administrator Jonas Uland.

The project will add approximately 8,500 square feet to the facility.

The biggest part of the expansion will involve the emergency department with an approximate 8,000 square foot addition.

“Our expansion of our emergency department is going to make it far more efficient and effective,” Uland said.

The ER, which currently has three rooms, will have eight rooms when the addition is completed.

There will be separate ER canopy covered entrances for patients and for ambulance drop off.

The main front entry to the hospital will also get a canopy cover for drop-offs. Additional parking will be added as well.

Greene County General Hospital moved to its current location in 1974. Prior to that time, the hospital operated a facility in downtown Linton.

“Now that we moved out here (on Lone Tree Road) in 1974 we feel that we’ve continued to provide acute care services as well as being a leader in student education and wellness initiative and developing a home health care agency,” Uland said. “Besides the obvious benefit of having an acute general care facility here, it’s an economic asset to the county with 278 employees and supporting nursing homes, physicians and businesses.”

Construction is expected to start in the fall with an anticipated completion of June or July 2013.

The Greene County General Hospital Auxiliary – commonly known as the “Pink Ladies” as they dress in magenta jackets – have more than 30 volunteers who donate their time at the hospital.

These ladies have several duties at the hospital. They direct visitors to patients or staff members. They deliver newspapers, mail, and flowers to patients.  They deliver fresh water and ice to patients. In addition, they also operate the gift shop, which is located on the first level of the hospital. The gift shop offers a variety of items, including books, stuffed animals, snacks, and gifts.

A familiar face at Greene County General Hospital is Ruby Grindstaff. The Linton resident has been volunteering at the hospital since May 1980. During that time, she has logged more than 11,000 volunteer hours.

Grindstaff, who works in the hospital’s gift shop, said her favorite part of being a volunteer is helping people.

“The most important thing is we want to make them feel as comfortable as possible. We don’t want to be strangers to our patient’s families,” Grindstaff said.

Linton’s Georgia Roberts has spent 10 years volunteering at Greene County General Hospital.  She and two year volunteer Galene Dyer, of Bloomfield, work the floor. They deliver flowers, cards, and newspapers to patients. They also ensure patients have fresh water twice daily.

Dyer enjoys being able to help patients rest easier and feel more comfortable.

Lorinda Van Horn, from Jasonville, has been a volunteer for three years. She works at the front desk providing information and a smile to visitors when they enter the hospital’s main lobby.

If you walk into the lobby one day and see double, it’s not a reason to get your vision checked. You are seeing double – twins that is. Veda Pope and Vada Abram serve as volunteers at the hospital. At 91-years old, Pope and Abram are proof that you’re never too old to make a difference.

The auxiliary members also help the departments of the hospital by raising funds.

“Every penny we make here (in the gift shop), we put back into the hospital,” Grindstaff said.

The auxiliary members also hold various fundraisers throughout the year. Previous fundraisers have included scrubs sales. They’ve also sold items such as jewelry, purses, wallets, chocolates, and baked goods.

The auxiliary has used the funds to purchase several items for the hospital, including automatic doors for the front entrance, extra large wheel chairs, ultrasound table, elliptical, microscope, mist tents, and transport incubator.

Greene County General Hospital Administrator Jonas Uland realizes the importance of having volunteers at the facility.

“They’re ambassadors to the community, representatives of the hospital,”Uland said.  “They really lend a helping hand to the hospital and patients and families staying here.”

In November, the hospital provides the auxiliary members with a tea. At the tea, a meal is served and members are given pins based on the amount of volunteer hours they have logged.

Volunteers are always welcome to sign up at Greene County General Hospital. The auxiliary members meet monthly. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, pick up an application at the hospital’s front desk.