Memorial Medical Center
From its inception in 1906 as Paulina Stearns Hospital on north Washington Avenue, to its present location on Ludington Avenue—Memorial Medical Center continues its goal of caring for the community.
We owe the birth of our hospital in 1906 to a group of tenacious women who would not give up the idea of building a hospital. The friends of Paulina Stearns had a vision, and set about getting the men in the community to agree. Justus Stearns, a local businessman and lumberman, donated $1,000 and the use of his home, and the Paulina Stearns Hospital went into operation, named after his wife who died in 1904. After 33 years, the hospital moved into its new building across the street in August of 1940. It contained 30 beds, and because it was during the WWII years, only four doctors served the hospital. Once again, women volunteers from the community helped keep the hospital afloat during the lean years.
With the development of new medical technology and equipment, expansion was necessary again in the 1960’s. Since there was no room to grow on Washington Avenue, property on east Ludington Avenue was purchased for the new hospital. In 1967, a 76-bed facility was completed, and was re-named Memorial Hospital of Mason County. In May of 1981, the hospital celebrated its 75th anniversary, and changed its name for the third and final time to Memorial Medical Center of West Michigan.
Today, Memorial Medical Center has added new buildings and has over 40 physicians on staff, in various areas of medicine, including:
Family Practice
Internal Medicine
General/Vascular Surgery
ENT
Cardiology
Oncology
Urology
Radiology
Pediatrics
Psychology
Orthopedics
Opthamology
Memorial Medical Center also features Home Health Care, Rehabilitation, 24-hour emergency department, specialty clinics—and for women, a birthing center, mammography, bone densitometry and ultrasound services. A kidney dialysis center was added to Memorial Medical Center in 1996, and in 2000, became the first hospital in Michigan and only the fourth in the nation to become certified to the quality standard of ISO 9002.
In August of 2008, Memorial Medical Center was ranked in the top 5% nationally for patient safety. This means that out of 5,000 hospitals around the country, Memorial Medical Center is one of 249 hospitals to receive this accolade, and only one of 13 hospitals in Michigan. Patients at MMC had a 43% lower chance of encountering medical errors compared to hospitals with a poor performance. The study was done by HealthGrades, a leading independent healthcare rating organization. This proves the dedication of Memorial Medical Center when it comes to improving patient care and evaluating new technologies.
A few women with a dream—into what it is now—a regional medical center serving thousands of people in West Michigan. Ludington’s Memorial Medical Center—leading the region in the pursuit of optimal health.
