SCRMC Celebrates 50 Years of Progress

When James Waites, MD, joined South Central Regional Medical Center 42 years ago, it was a modest 105-bed hospital, not unlike those found in neighborhoods around the country.

Today, Dr. Waites speaks with pride about how far the medical center has come. “We’ve grown in the number of specialties we offer patients, from ophthalmology and orthopaedics to urology and general surgery,” he said. “We’ve become a first-class medical center and a major force for health care in our region.”

He said that some of the most impressive advancements at the hospital have come in new high-tech X-ray technology. “Digitized radiology enables us to get amazingly clear pictures,” Dr. Waites said. “The technology has advanced tremendously, and we’ve kept pace with it to better serve our patients.”

Quality Health Care Close to Home
From its beginnings in 1952, South Central has grown to become a 285-bed medical center. Major additions and renovations through the years have increased the amount of services offered to area residents. The medical center has continuously upgraded medical technology and has added numerous programs and services to meet the needs of area residents.

“We are very pleased to be able to offer medical services for which people typically would have to travel to larger medical communities,” says Rex Applewhite, MD, a general surgeon who came to South Central in 1974.

Eric Lindstrom, MD, joined SCRMC in 1976, and served for 15 years on South Central’s Board of Trustees. He says a key reason South Central is so successful is because the medical center supports its employees’ efforts to provide high-quality service to the patients it serves.

“Whatever medical technology we need to provide the best care for our patients, the hospital always seems to find a way to get,” Dr. Lindstrom said. “Our technology is as good as any of the cutting-edge technology found at major teaching universities.”

To receive a medical center brochure and a medical center directory, call 399-0501.

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