Med Center Says 'Welcome Home, Baby!'

GCMC KICKS OFF YEAR-LONG 75^TH ANNIVERSARY

It’s Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one for the Greene County Medical Center as it launches a year-long 75^th anniversary celebration to mark the opening of the hospital on Dec. 30, 1937.

Events are planned from now until the end of 2012 to celebrate this milestone. This month a

Then....hospital of 1937

75 year timeline highlighting key points in the facility’s history was unveiled. A “Welcome Home, Baby” reception is planned for Saturday, March 31, for all 15,500 plus babies born at the medical center over the past 75 years.

While it is impossible to even contemplate sending personal invitations, GCMC officials say this will be an “invitation” only event with a birth certificate as an invitation. RSVPs are being sought and several venues for doing so will be available over the next couple of weeks. The medical center has set up a special email (welcomehomebaby@gcmchealth.com) for those born at the center to send their intentions for attending. A “Welcome Home, Baby” hotline has also been set up to take RSVPs at 515-386-9891. The medical center’s 75^th anniversary committee is also encouraging any special birth stories to be shared this way.

Now....medical center of 2012.

“I encourage those who are reading this to share this event information with others outside of the area who were born at Greene County Medical Center so they can make plans to attend,” says Carla Offenburger, GCMC community relations director . “While we will be doing state-wide media plugs on the event, we understand word-of-mouth may be our best tool.”

GJ GCMC ANNIVERSARY PICNIC AUG. 15 @ CITY PARK

Lori Herrick of Grand Junction, a GCMC employee, met with the Grand Junction City Council at its January meeting to outline the upcoming events for the 75^th anniversary in advance of the official press launch late last month. She outlined a series of celebration picnics planned for communities throughout the county. Each picnic would offer free food, activities and music.

At the Feb. 13 council meeting, her sister, Linda Hoffman, a council member, informed the council that the picnic in Grand Junction will be held Wednesday, Aug. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the City Park on Elizabeth Street on the south edge of Grand Junction. The Greene County Beef Producers will provide the meal.

Offenburger says community picnics are also being planned during the summer months in Scranton, Churdan, Paton, Rippey and Jefferson. The Paton picnic will Tuesday, June 4, and the Jefferson picnic on Wednesday, June 20. Other dates and times will be announced when confirmed.

A grand finale open house at the medical center will be held in November.

Additional medical events will complement this year long celebration, including the publication of a medical center magazine in April and again in October. The medical center is also in the process of rebranding and recently unveiled a new color scheme, logo and message.

“Our 75th year is a great time for the medical center to go through its own ‘rebirthing’ process with new colors, logo and message,” says Karen Bossard, GCMC administrator.