Carilion History: Franklin Memorial Hospital, Part 2

It became increasingly difficult for Franklin Memorial Hospital (FMH) to adequately meet the health needs of the citizens of Franklin County; after a 13-year relationship with Roanoke Hospital Association, the hospital became a full affiliate of the association (by then called Carilion Health System) in 1988.

While it became a part of Carilion Health System (CHS), the hospital remained a not-for-profit, community-owned facility that was governed by its local board.

The affiliation provided residents of Franklin County with convenient access to more advanced medical services, vast health care resources and the shared medical knowledge of a regional health system; as part of a larger network, resources, equipment and expertise were shared, enhancing the level of care FMH could provide locally.

Soon after joining Carilion, a $44,000 laboratory renovation was completed. The facility was upgraded to include an outpatient area and a larger inpatient work space. The outpatient area was designed to meet an increased need for pre-surgical laboratory work for outpatients at the hospital as well as outlying facilities.

CFMH’s range of service continually expanded to serve the medical needs of the county, which had grown in recent years, in part because of the rise in popularity of the Smith Mountain Lake area.

The expansion of services included echocardiology, ophthalmology, a neurosurgery satellite office, health-related community programs and physical therapy.

In 1988, FMH was a debt-free, 62-bed community hospital that provided care for more than 35,000 people in Franklin County. With 166 employees, it ranked 11th among county employers and had an annual budget of $6.6 million.

The 10-member, active medical staff consisted of family practitioners, surgeons, internal medicine specialists and a radiologist. An emergency services staff, a 24-hour emergency department and a courtesy staff of 11 specialists in nearby Roanoke supported this core group of board-certified physicians.

Urology and orthopaedic clinics offered convenient services to area residents. Mammography services were provided in a home-like environment and the family-oriented obstetric department included a birthing bed, Lamaze classes, a newborn nursery and an infant life-support system.

The hospital’s Home Health Services enabled elderly and handicapped individuals to live independently and provided relief for caregivers. A neonatal transporter and Life-Guard 10 helicopter service linked FMH with CRMH.

To meet the countywide need for health information, the hospital started offering health education programs and provided speakers for various health topics through a speakers’ bureau.

An Investment in Local Health Care

With the rapid growth, the hospital was literally running out of room and struggling to remodel facilities to create new areas in which to serve the community. It was time to set forth plans for expanding the existing facilities and creating new areas to accommodate the growing demand for outpatient services.

A hospital fundraising campaign began in November 1989 with the goal of raising $1.1 million. By the end of the campaign, the community showed its support by donating $1.3 million to the cost of the renovation and expansion project.

Money was also raised for the 1989 Love Light Tree project; by the time the lighting ceremony was held on Dec. 3, more than $10,300 was raised toward purchasing a defibrillator and critical care monitor for the emergency room.

Care for All County Residents

FMH celebrated 40 years of service to the community by joining in a community-wide effort to establish a free clinic to provide general medical services to working poor families with no access to health insurance or medical entitlement programs.

A steering committee was formed in 1992 to organize the medical venture with representation from across Franklin County.

The committee selected the former Rocky Mount Elementary School as the site for the free clinic, which would also focus on health education. It began as a single classroom with two examination tables, plumbing fixtures, office furnishings and various medical supplies, an eye chart and lab equipment donated by the hospital. That, combined with $10,000 from the hospital auxiliary and a $5,000 grant, made the clinic a reality.

It opened in November 1992 and by June of 1993, more than 375 patients had been treated there. Hospital staff members also volunteered their time, and physicians took turns handling referrals at the clinic.

Meanwhile, construction continued on the $4.2 million expansion and renovation project, which included the new emergency room, outpatient surgery area and obstetrical wing. The hospital also added physicians specializing in obstetrics, family practice and nephrology, clinic services in cardiology and plastic surgery and support groups for patients.

In 1992, the hospital had 210 employees, 62 beds and 1,640 admissions. Outpatients visits had grown to 25,518.

A New Franklin Memorial

Franklin County essentially got a brand-new hospital when the official grand opening and dedication were held on July 7, 1993. There was 20,000 square feet of new space.

In the new emergency room, there were seven workstations, including three for trauma cases. The obstetrics area included two modern birthing suites, where mothers labored, delivered and recovered without being moved from room to room.

The renovation also centralized services for patients to limit the need to move them throughout the building for care.

In 1987, there were 7,500 visits to the emergency room. By the end of the year there were 220 employees, 1,770 admissions and 22,368 outpatient visits. The medical staff had grown to 54 physicians.

The hospital changed its name to Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital (CFMH) in 1996. In 1997, CFMH received accreditation with commendation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations for the third consecutive time.

Advances in 1998 included opening a physical therapy location at the local YMCA, adding a full-time chaplain for the hospice program, making home medical equipment available in the county and providing full-service, non-invasive vascular lab testing.

Also in 1998, Carilion established the Carilion Community Health Fund to support not-for-profit community health initiatives to meet unmet health needs that were identified in a community health needs assessment.

In 1998 and 1999, CFMH received money for local health projects, including the Franklin Free Clinic, hospital-based health screenings, support for the Congregational Nursing Program and funds to help build a Habitat for Humanity house in Franklin County.

Stay tuned to Inside Carilion for more history!