History of Garden Park
Thirty-five years ago, on October 17, 1973, the first patient was admitted to the hospital by Dr. Jare Barkley, an internal medicine/general surgery practitioner. Earlier that month, the Mississippi Commission on Hospital Care issued a permit authorizing Garden Park Community Hospital to open for business. The hospital—developed and owned by a group of local investors—took three years to plan, finance and construct. Originally the facility was designed as a nursing home, but during construction the investors decided to open it as a 120-bed hospital.
The $3.5 million, 65,000 square-foot facility was described by the Daily Herald as an “ultra-modern structure…arranged in wings extending to the surgical suites, nurses’ stations, visitor gazebos, and a central focal point of an indoor restaurant set amid waterfall and tropical surroundings.” When the hospital opened, the restaurant services included waitresses, and the hospital also had a beauty salon on site. The nursing units featured four wings called Camellia, Magnolia, Azalea and Rose. The original entrance was located at 45th Avenue. The total equipment cost for the new building was nearly $1 million, according to an article in the Daily Herald, and included $150,000 worth of x-ray equipment “featuring televised pictures which the doctor can observe live.”
During that first year of service, 40 physicians joined the medical staff and over 220 persons were employed by the hospital. In 1978 a six-bed intensive care unit was added by converting existing rooms. In 1979, Brookwood Health Services, Inc. purchased the facility and operated it until AMI acquired it in 1981. The new owners quickly acquired additional acreage next to the existing facility and began expansion plans. Upon issuance of the Certificate of Need (CON) from the state, the hospital began construction on an addition to the facility which would nearly double the size of the building and add emergency room services. The addition was completed in 1985 with a new two-story section, new equipment and a new entrance off Broad Avenue.
The next several years brought many changes to Garden Park and to the healthcare industry as well. In 1989, thirty-six AMI hospitals spun off to form an employee-owned company called Epic Healthcare. Five years later in 1994, HealthTrust, Inc. bought all of the Epic holdings to form the second largest healthcare company in the country. Less than a year later, HealthTrust was purchased by Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., the largest healthcare company in the nation. The company later dropped the name Columbia to become HCA, Hospital Corporation of America.
Over the past 35 years, the Garden Park has grown to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. In 1996, the hospital successfully obtained a CON to build a replacement facility on Community Road in the Orange Grove area. Detailed research indicated that the new location was the epicenter of growth for the community, and construction on the new facility began in 1998. Less than two years later, Garden Park Medical Center opened on May 23, 2000, with a modern, state-of-the-art facility that was twice the size of its previous building.
Since that time, Garden Park has continued to expand its services. The hospital is now focused on becoming the provider and employer of choice based on providing exceptional customer service and hiring employees who share the same values and believe in the hospital’s culture. With a solid core of services, a talented team of individuals focused on a culture of compassion and care, and a clear vision for the future, there is no doubt that Garden Park’s next 35 years will be very bright.
I CARE Values
Integrity
Integrity means that we strive to earn the trust and respect of those we serve by holding ourselves personally accountable to do what is right, and enduring consistency between what we say and what we do. We keep our promises, own our mistakes, and maintain high standards for individual performance.
Compassion
Compassion means sharing in the emotions and feelings of our patients, families, and co-workers, and acting with kindness in all we say and do. By treating others with compassion, we create an environment that inspires trust, safeguards dignity, and promotes healing.
A Positive Attitude
A positive attitude means we perform in a way that communicates we are here to serve. We believe that positive attitudes result in positive outcomes.
Respect
Respect means we take responsibility for safeguarding the personal dignity, individuality, and inherent value of every person by interacting with our customers and one another in a spirit of honesty and compassion.
Exceptional Quality
Exceptional quality means that we perform our work at the highest possible level of skill and ability, and that we are committed to continuous improvement of what we do and how we do it.