The Bradley County Medical Center (BCMC) has served Bradley County for over 70 years and it will honor National Hospital Week from May 8 to May 14.
Dennen Cuthbertson, public relations specialist for the medical center, told The Eagle Democrat they were doing something for the staff every day during Hospital Week. Warren Mayor Denisa Pennington made a proclamation on Monday, along with a pancake breakfast provided by the administration office for staff members.
On Tuesday, snack services were provided to employees by a special guest. The BCMC departments will dress wacky for Wacky Wednesday. The department that is dressed the “wackiest” will win a pizza party. Legacy Rehab will sponsor a BBQ lunch for employees on Thursday. Union Bank will also sponsor an ice cream truck Thursday afternoon. The hospital cafeteria will provide a complimentary fish plate for employees on Friday. The Annual Service Awards will be presented at the hospital entrance at 3 p.m. on Friday.
National Hospital Week always falls on the week of Florence Nightingale’s birthday on May 12. Nightingale lived from 1820 until her death in 1910. She was known as “The Lady with the Lamp.” She was a British nurse and best known as the founder of modern nursing.
The Bradley County Medical Center was founded in 1951 and has evolved into one of the top medical facilities in southeast Arkansas. The medical center employs more than 230 people making it one of Bradley County’s largest employers.
The Bradley County Medical Center was originally named Bradley County Memorial Hospital when it was founded in 1951 until the name changed to Bradley County Medical Center in 1997. The name was changed because their status changed to a private, not-for-profit.
The hospital cost about $450,000 to construct. The first superintendent was Senator Lee Reaves of Hermitage. A $300,000 bond issue was approved by Bradley County voters in November 1948. The Warren Lions Club sponsored a campaign to build the hospital under the club’s first president, W.D. Roddey, Jr. He served as the master of ceremonies at the dedication ceremony on June 10, 1951. About 1,500 people toured the newly built hospital after the dedication ceremony.
The hospital was originally a 24,000 square foot building with a 60-bed capacity. In 1999, an addition to the facility was added with four acute care patient rooms, along with six LDRP (labor, delivery, recovery, post-partum) rooms. It provides new mothers with the best in accommodations while they are hospitalized.
In 2005, the Bradley County Medical Center became a Critical Access Hospital that allowed for different benefits from Medicare than other facilities.
The Bradley County Medical Center provides a variety of services to its patients. Their services include labor and delivery, emergency room, home health, senior care, senior care intensive outpatient program, respiratory therapy, laboratory, outpatient clinic, radiology, rehab services, surgery, medical surgical unit, skilled nursing, the rural health clinic, and the women’s clinic.
The Bradley County Medical Center Auxiliary was formed in 1953. They run the gift shop and operate desks at the waiting rooms. They also opened up a thrift shop inside the Brunson Medical Complex.
The Brunson Medical Complex is in the old Brunson Elementary School building. It was purchased in 2004 by the Bradley County Medical Center. It houses the rehab services and home health departments through Legacy Rehabilitation.
Even with all the changes and additions through the years, the Bradley County Medical Center continues to provide a variety of medical services to patients throughout Bradley County.
