Columbus Regional Health is celebrating “100 Years of Caring.” Monday marked the hospital’s 100 birthday, opening Feb. 6, 1917 as Bartholomew County Hospital. Jim Bickel, President and CEO of Columbus Regional Health, talked about the legacy of CRH during a Monday afternoon reception for staff…
He noted the hospital’s long presence in the community and it’s mission of treating those in need…
Bickel talked about the history of the facility. He considered about how CRH might have been different if the historic flood of June, 2008 hadn’t taken place…
Bickel credits CRH staff for the quick reopening of the hospital after the flood. He says that the CRH Board of Directors made the right call in using money earmarked for expansion efforts to instead keep staff on the payroll. Bickel says that decision paid off, as many staff members were able to help out with recovery efforts, turning an estimated 12 to 18 month closure to just under six months.
Bickel talked about the future of CRH…
Bickel also noted how the mission of CRH was grown to be so much more than what it was when the facility first opened. While he wouldn’t forecast what the next 100 years will be like for the facility, Bickel says the next few decades will most certainly continue with helping the overall “wellness” of the communities CRH serves.