What’s Lawrence Memorial Hospital?

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Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, Kansas, also known as LMH, was ranked one of the best hospitals in the United States by US News and World Report in 2011. The first incarnation of Lawrence Memorial Hospital was a small municipal hospital in 1921 The The hospital underwent improvements and had 50 beds in 1929, with the number rising to 75 in 1937 with a new addition. In 1956 the beds increased to 146, and in 1969 the growth and renovations of the hospital added even more beds, for a total of 165.

The hospital’s early years began with donations from a local benefactress, Elizabeth Miller Watkins, born in 1861 and died in 1939. The hospital remembered her on the 150th anniversary of her birth in 2011 with a birthday cake. Others who benefited from her philanthropy also celebrated her birthday, including the University of Kansas. The university presented an original play about her life, among other events to honor her memory.

Less than a decade after the 1969 renovations to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, the original structure that was funded by Elizabeth Watkins to house the hospital has been replaced by a new facility, with beds for 200 patients. The original building that had served as a community hospital for decades was razed in 1999. Over the years, Lawrence Memorial Hospital has undergone many changes, including the addition of an auditorium in 1986 and an office building doctors in 1994. In 1997 the hospital expanded again with a larger unit for radiology, an upgraded maternity center, and an expanded emergency room. Over the next few years, expansions and renovations continued, including the additions of a cardiac center and cardiac evaluation program.

As of 2011, the hospital had a staff of two dozen full-time physicians and six part-time physicians. The facility also has a staff of 214 full-time registered nurses and another 121 who work part-time. Fifteen full-time licensed practical nurses are also on staff, as well as another ten part-time practical nurses. The hospital’s annual admissions are approximately 6,680, with over 1,400 inpatient surgeries. Annual outpatient visits total nearly 225,000. More than 36,200 patients visit the hospital’s emergency department in a year, and the hospital delivers about 1,150 babies a year.

The hospital’s community outreach programs include Meals on Wheels, which offers inmate meals, health screenings, and health fairs. The facility also offers a smoking cessation program, patient translation services, wound management, a sleep center, and a women’s health center. Outpatient services include chemotherapy, alternative and complementary medicine, lithotripsy and cardiac catheterization. Hospital services include skilled care for the disabled and elderly, palliative care, cancer care and emergency care for psychiatric patients.

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