Carroll County Memorial Hospital began as a dream for our community with the laying of the cornerstone in August, 1955. It was built with the love and devotion of the families of Carroll County as they realized the need for health services close to home. The hospital was funded through a variety of sources. One of the major sources was the Hill Burton funds, a result of the national health care legislation known as the Hospital Survey and Construction Act, and also known as the Hill-Burton Act. It was designed to provide federal grants and guaranteed loans to improve the physical plant of the nation’s hospital system.
The hospital has undergone many changes with additions and renovations in 1971, 1992 and 1999; and, further remodeling in 2006. In 1971 a new addition provided additional inpatient beds expanding the medical-surgical patient care area, dietary services, cafeteria, laundry and materials management and storage room. 1992 saw the construction of an intensive care unit along side the medical-surgical unit. In 1999 a new state-of- the-art emergency department was added and two new physician suites were also added to provide space for new physician practices. In 2006 a major portion of the hospital was renovated and specialty clinic and surgical medical practice offices were constructed.
CCMH primarily served the citizens in Carroll, Trimble and Gallatin counties as it opened its doors as a small rural hospital but has evolved into a leading outpatient diagnostic testing center, an advanced technology center and a clinical office location for numerous physician specialists who routinely meet with patients and see referrals for their specialty care.
In 1992 Carroll County Memorial Hospital opened a hospital-based Rural Health Clinic to provide additional access to health services and support to residents of Carroll, Trimble and Gallatin County and to all patients including Medicare and Medicaid program members. In 2000 the hospital became a critical access hospital and provides inpatient and skilled and rehabilitation services with 8 full-time medical staff in a 25-bed facility. We also have an occupational medicine program serving over 200 regional industry and a general surgeon providing both inpatient and ambulatory services to area residents.
As the new hospital went up in 1971 Carroll County and surrounding counties were primarily agricultural with very little industry. There has been a slow but steady shift over the past three decades. Interstate transportation links and demand for water, land and labor have changed the industrial face of Carroll County. Today that shift has seen large tracts of farm land and Ohio River shore line converted to the home for international companies of Spain and France and other nations. Jobs, schools, public services and health services have evolved to meet those needs. Today industry makes up an integral part of the corridor of business activity now served by Carroll County.
Today Carroll County Memorial Hospital is a vibrant, growing area health care center employing over 100 people, serving 14,000 people annually through outpatient services, 3,000 through inpatient services, 12,000 through our emergency department and 27,000 through our physician services.
THE FUTURE
The changing face of our population has necessitated planning for the change in the healthcare needs of this area. The Carroll County Memorial Hospital Board of Directors is actively planning for the next decade of health service needs and looking at what the “next” hospital will look like as the population changes. The hospital is working with other community leaders and the Carroll County Community Development Corporation to provide the health services required as we progress into the twenty-first century. As of 2022 CCMH is happy to announce that we are now partnered with U of L health.
