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Celebrating 100 years of health care in the heartland

by Nina Shephard, FSPA

Whenever a baby is born at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa, visitors and patients hear Brahms’ lullaby being played softly over the intercom. The staff in The Birth Place decided to do this so that everyone could share in the joy of a new life.

The new water wall at St. Anthony Regional Hospital imparts a sense of peace to the surroundings. Photo by Ladonna Kassmeyer, FSPA

After all of the “birthdays” that have been celebrated in this way at St. Anthony, it was time in January 2005 for the hospital to recognize its own birthday. Now, 100 years after the first patient entered the doors of St. Anthony, the FSPA tradition of caring is alive and well in Carroll.

Surrounded by farms with acres of corn and soybeans as far as you can see, the small city of Carroll harbors this treasure that is shared with the residents of the entire region. The celebration of the 100 years since its dedication on June 13, 1905, has created an atmosphere of respectful reverence and grateful joy throughout the hospital and nursing home. In fact, if you walk the halls of St. Anthony Hospital these days, you may see nurses wearing traditional uniforms, complete with white stockings and shoes, nurses’ caps, gloves and navy blue capes. These are alumnae of the School of Nursing, and they don these uniforms to form an honor guard at every local funeral for a nurse or doctor. It is testimony to the meaning of their past, and a comfort to the families of the deceased.

The entire community of Carroll has joined in the celebration of a century of excellent medical care at St. Anthony. Throughout the years the community has always supported the hospital, which when constructed and dedicated in 1905, replaced a 25-bed facility owned and run by Dr. Arthur Wright. It was Father Joseph Kuemper’s vision and his generous provision of funds that got the hospital project going. One of the secrets of its success, according to board members, is the tremendous support of school administrators, the Chamber of Commerce, local businesses, and the entire Carroll community which continues to support the hospital through major renovations and additions.

The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration were there at the hospital’s inception, having been invited by Father Kuemper to take over the administration of the hospital, with Sister Mary Pfiffner as the first administrator. According to the centennial history book, more than 235 FSPA have served at the facility, providing cumulatively 1,596 years of service. Administrators were all FSPA (13) from 1905 until 1966 when Robert Blincow was hired, followed by the current administrator, Gary Riedmann. Presently, FSPA members Sister Irene Nieland and Sister Marian Wieland work at St. Anthony.

The nurse honor guard dresses in traditional clothing, from left, Ceal Boes, Mary Lou Janning, Pat Happe, Mae Knobbe and Leona Sibbel. Photo by Nina Shephard, FSPA

Riedmann sees the 100th celebration as a chance to say thank you to the FSPA and others who have given so much to the community. His favorite picture among those used in the centennial book is that of the sisters, in full habit, with the cows. It shows, he said, how they were willing to jump in and do whatever had to be done. He says it is “the personal compassion, care and service, which is the special nature of who we are,” that makes St. Anthony special.

As part of the centennial celebration, a grand opening was held for a new patient care addition which features larger, all private patient rooms, and a new six-bed critical care unit. The 42,000 square foot, two-story addition is designed to provide a peaceful, healing environment, and includes a 36-foot waterwall and a chapel.

The nursing home at St. Anthony also recently finished a major renovation, including development of a new $3 million Alzheimer’s unit of 18 beds, and a $4.5 million addition to the nursing home. Consistent with the peaceful atmosphere of the new addition to the hospital, the entire nursing home unit has a soothing, home-like feel.

Art Neu, board member and former lieutenant governor of Iowa, said Carroll has a remarkable medical community, given its size. “St. Anthony Hospital is the fourth largest employer here, and an economic engine for the Carroll area,” he added. As the primary stop for medical care within a 100 mile radius, St. Anthony Regional Hospital aims to provide for 95% of the health-care needs of Carroll residents.

To help celebrate the history of St. Anthony, The Antonian Century Players were formed. They bring St. Anthony history to life through a series of letters– some actual, others based on fact–written by historical figures. The letters praised the hospital, through the words of figures such as Dr. Randolph Ferlic who said in 1971, “What this hospital means is not just a building of brick and mortar, but a true expression of ideals and a commitment of people in a community, an expression of reason and love.”

With the new modern addition opened in January, the centennial year caps a period of growth and change that continues to make St. Anthony Regional Hospital an outstanding model of health care that is at once professional and intensely personal.

The centennial quilt, above, by Rita Venner and Lynda Dorweiler, includes photographs like this one taken of the hospital farm. Photos by Nina Shephard, FSPA

Apple pie holds a slice of St. Anthony history

Apple pie was served at the dedication of the new patient care addition at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa, as a nod to the early days of the hospital. According to one story, a postpartum patient got a craving for a piece of apple pie. One of the sisters went to the hospital’s apple orchard and brought some apples to the kitchen where they made the pie, and served it a la mode to the delight of the patient.

The story inspired one of the quilt pieces in the centennial quilt, pictured here. An apple tree is depicted in the quilt square, symbolizing the dedication and caring of the sisters and the hospital staff, as exemplified in the pie story. Other snapshots of St. Anthony’s history are also incorporated into the quilt, which was on display at the hospital.

Snapshots from the early days of St. Anthony Auxiliary volunteers, Mardy Snyder, left, and Jan Schroeder. Photo by Nina Shephard, FSPA Cooking up something special The sisters always made the holidays special for both nurses and patients. Many of them recall working in the diet kitchen with Sister Maristelle Massman, cooking every kind of special diet. One of the sisters in the kitchen made the wedding cake for nurse Pat Happe. Working overtime An earlier graduate, Elaine Pudenz, recalls how they had to wash the baby diapers, and sterilize and re-use dressings. She remembers keeping babies warm with hot water bottles. The student nurses had only one day off a week. But they loved it. Ceal Boes said, “We might have gone home tired, but we went home happy.” St. Anthony’s first incubator baby The first incubator baby at St. Anthony, Jan Schroeder, is now the purchaser for the hospital gift shop. When Jan was a student at Kuemper High School, Sister Mary Ronald Myers asked her to be one of the high school volunteers at St. Anthony’s. In 2003 she again became a volunteer with the Auxiliary. The St. Anthony Auxiliary The Auxiliary will celebrate its 50th anniversary in November of 2005. Co-president of the Auxiliary, Carol Stark, also has a lot of history with the hospital. She was born there while her father was away because of war. He didn’t get to see her for her first six months of her life. When Carol’s first daughter was born, her husband was also away, in the Vietnam war, so he didn’t see his child for six months as well. Carol’s husband, three children, and six grandchildren were also born at St. Anthony.

		St. Anthony Regional Hospital Historical Timeline
1903		Father Joseph Kuemper originates the idea of beginning a hospital in Carroll. The support of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration is secured. Father Kuemper proceeds with a house-to-house canvass of Carroll and neighboring towns in the county. Although money is scarce, $6,000 is raised.
1905		Construction of the original hospital building, laundry and boiler building is completed.
1905		School of Nursing opens. In 1908 the first three diplomas are given.
Mid-1920s		Stable and poultry house additions are made. The St. Anthony campus includes a working farm and orchards. Farming plays an important role for St. Anthony in the early days, as a large share of the food prepared in the kitchen is raised on the 60 acres of hospital property. Fourteen head of milk cows, 75 head of hogs, and more than 400 chickens are kept year-round.
1924		Antonian Nurses’ Home opens.
1931		$200,000 addition includes a sewing room, personnel dining room, elevators, patient rooms, operating, x-ray, physical therapy departments and new chapel.
1943		Penicillin is administered at St. Anthony for the first time.
1951		1074 babies are born in the St. Anthony nursery during 1951.
1954		Sister Mary Ronald Myers and group of local women begin St. Anthony Auxiliary.
1963		Dedication of St. Anthony Nursing Home
1971		Dedication of new St. Anthony Hospital facility
1988		Open house for new Orchard View retirement living campus
1993		Dialysis services are offered for the first time.
1994-95		Construction and remodeling of emergency room and admissions area of the hospital
1995		Dedication of completed outpatient services and Community Health Center
1994		The Cancer Center opens.
2001		Open house for The Birth Place, newly remodeled obstetrics unit
2003		Dedication of nursing home remodeling and Alzheimer’s unit project
2005		Grand opening of the $13 million third floor expansion project which will provide all private patient rooms and a six-bed intensive care unit.

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