Posted on Aug.10.2024August 12, 2024

MCH Throwback Thursdays: A Journey Through Our History

Melissa French

Posted on Jun.18.2024August 6, 2024

A Century of Caring: Celebrating 101 Years of Care at Monadnock Community Hospital

Melissa French

Posted on May.15.2024October 1, 2024

Heartfelt Stories – Clement Family Legacy

Melissa French

Posted on Jun.30.2023July 31, 2024

A Trip Down Memory Lane: 1971-1991

Melissa French

Posted on May.26.2023July 31, 2024

A Trip Down Memory Lane: 1950-1970

Monadnock Community Hospital

Posted on May.26.2023March 10, 2025

A Trip Down Memory Lane: 1923-1949

Monadnock Community Hospital

Posted on May.16.2023September 10, 2024

A Trip Down Memory Lane: 1915-1923

Monadnock Community Hospital

Posted on May.15.2023April 7, 2025

100 Years of Growth

Melissa French

Posted on May.15.2023April 7, 2025

A Century of Excellence – Explore Our Growth

Melissa French

A time of expansion in the hospital’s history.

[gallery columns="4" ids="37074,37072,37071,37070"] MCH Anniversary Series 1971-1991

The early years of the Hospital saw significant advances in the science of anesthesia, from the introduction of anesthesia machines in the 1930s to new, safer anesthetic drugs, devices that made intubation safer and more effective, and the introduction of the first intravenous anesthetics.

1950s

$2 office visit

($24.29 adjusted)

$3 house call

($36.43 adjusted)

In the 1950s Dr. Albert Chandler performed house calls which equaled his time spent in office appointments. He charged $2 per office visit ($24.29 adjusted rate today) or $3 per house call ($36.43 adjusted.)

Early on the Hospital was made to look as much like a cheerful home as possible, with a small kitchen on each floor. The rooms had fireplaces and carpets for comfort. The reception room had comfortable seating and often had fresh flowers. The old reception room is now the library and looks much the same.

Average per patient day during 1960s inflation:

Short term, general, and special hospitals

$41.58 ($397.67 adjusted*)

MCH

$38.84 ($371.46 adjusted*)

In the 1960s rapid population growth in the Monadnock region led to a hospital census at 100%. There was a shortage of patient rooms available. A fundraising campaign for a major million dollar expansion began in 1963. The average contribution from the community was $940 ($8,990.08 adjusted*) from doctors, $320 ($3,060.45 adjusted*) from small businesses, $97 ($927.70 adjusted*) from local families, and $75 ($717.29 adjusted*) from employees. On March 23, 1965 groundbreaking ceremonies were held. The addition increased capacity to 75 beds from the 1949 expansion leaving MCH with 55 beds.

1963 capital campaign average contributions:

Doctors $940 ($8,990.08 adjusted*)

Small businesses $320 ($3,060.45 adjusted*)

Local families $97 ($927.70 adjusted*)

Employees $75 ($717.29 adjusted*)

At the close of the fundraising campaign Dr. George Stewart said: “We are aware not only of the out-poured generosity of the living givers but, at the same time, are reminded also of the superb people who have befriended this institution in years that are gone and who have left us as grateful legatees some portion of their spirit. Over and above that material resources given by such citizens is the sense of trusteeship, the responsibility for the common good, the traits of character they have bestowed to help build in the community its distinguishing character as a worthy region. For all of these we are truly grateful.”

In the 1960s the Hospital’s Auxiliary supplied 5-inch television sets that could be rolled into patient rooms on a cart for $1 a day ($9.89 adjusted*). In 1964 the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra began playing a benefit for the hospital each year. In 1968 a Chrysanthemum Ball was first held as a fundraiser. They were the first black tie, gala raising funds for MCH. The attendance fee was $10 per person ($84.10 adjusted*). In 1973 the Golden Anniversary Ball celebrated the 50^th anniversary.

*adjusted for 2022 dollars [gallery ids="37070,37071,37072,37073,37074,37075,37076,37053,37077,37078"] History - Monadnock Community Hospital [post_title] => A Trip Down Memory Lane: 1950-1970 [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-monadnock-community-hospital-1950-1970 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-07-31 10:25:42 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-07-31 14:25:42 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=36240 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [5] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 36238 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2023-05-26 10:46:27 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-05-26 14:46:27 [post_content] =>

The early formative years of the hospital’s history.

[gallery columns="4" ids="37069,37068,37052,37050"] MCH Anniversary Series 1950-1970

On June 21, 1923 the front page of the Peterborough Transcript proudly proclaimed:

"The Peterborough Hospital, which opens its doors to the public today, Thursday, June 21st, is something which has been in the minds and thoughts of some of our citizens for a long time and at last the realizations of these plans and dreams have come to pass..."

The highly anticipated opening day of The Peterborough Hospital was a monumental occasion. Over 750 people attended the festivities on opening day to see the new facility that would become a center for medical excellence in the Monadnock region. A visiting physician toured the newly built hospital and told the Peterborough Transcript:

“A finer location, better arranged, more completely equipped, up to the minute, modern hospital than this one cannot be found anywhere.”

At this time there were 47 consulting physicians that came to the Hospital from all over New England, as far away as Boston. They would take the train into town. The most common vehicle at the time was the Model T.

In the first month (1923)

4 births
9 average patients a day
36 operations
40 patients admitted
274 patient days

Within the first 11 months of operation, it was clear that the Peterborough Hospital was a needed service for the community, with patient numbers increasing daily. During this time there were an average of nine patients per day at the hospital. (Patients days are defined as a calendar day a patient is admitted in the hospital.) The first baby born was a healthy boy from Nashua, he was born at 3 AM on July 1, 1923 by Caesarean section. In the first 15 years of operation (ending in 1938) there were 7,525 persons admitted, and 80,559 patient days total.

In 1927 nine towns accepted a share in the future maintenance of the hospital. The breakdown of the amount pledged by each town follows: Peterborough $68,225.35 ($1,147,502.68 adjusted*), Jaffrey $12,751 ($214,462.90 adjusted*), Dublin $12,750 ($214,446.08 adjusted*), Hancock $3,501 ($58,884.3 adjusted*), Antrim $3,295.50 ($55,428.01 adjusted*), Bennington $2,056 ($34,580.48 adjusted*), Temple $1,224.25 ($20,591.03 adjusted*), Greenfield $655 ($11,016.64 adjusted*), and Harrisville $53.25 ($895.63 adjusted*). The community support from these surrounding towns set the framework for what would be incredible philanthropic support for decades to come.

Hospital Stats: 1923

2903 patient days
274 admissions
43 births

1949

1675 patient days
1844 admissions
286 births

In the 1940s it was common practice for hearses to be used as ambulances. Funeral homes handled ambulance calls as well as funeral transportation. The vehicles were bought as combination hearses/ambulances. Arthur Wheeler of Jellison Funeral Home never lost a patient in transit despite only having Red Cross first aid training.

1946 was a time of transformation and growth as the Peterborough Hospital changed its name to Monadnock Community Hospital. There was a continuing need for increased services, with the hospital running full census (full capacity) in 1934. The tight finances during World War II made expansion a challenge. By 1946 the Hospital was often beyond capacity. The community donated food from their victory gardens, and raised money with donations, benefits, bequests, investments, state funds, and more. In 1949 the North Wing addition began, which was going to increase the hospital’s bed capacity from 19 beds to 55. When the North Wing was completed in 1950 Monadnock Community Hospital was considered one of the finest in New England.

Profits 1937

net operating loss $12,000

(-$243,879 adjusted*)

1949

profit $691.41

($8,501 adjusted*)

2022

net gain

$2,897,000

*adjusted for 2022 dollars [gallery ids="37055,37050,37048,37068,37052,37069"] History - Monadnock Community Hospital [post_title] => A Trip Down Memory Lane: 1923-1949 [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-monadnock-community-hospital-1923-1949 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-03-10 18:12:55 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-03-10 22:12:55 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/?p=36238 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [6] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 36224 [post_author] => 2 [post_date] => 2023-05-16 12:04:20 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-05-16 16:04:20 [post_content] => [gallery columns="4" ids="37046,37064,37065,37066"] MCH Anniversary Series 1923-1949 A time of development for the hospital’s history and the Peterborough area. The history of Monadnock Community Hospital goes all the way back to 1917 when community members asked Robert Parmelee to donate his unoccupied summer home to the town of Peterborough to become a community hospital. In 1873 the first American hospital survey located only 178 hospitals in the country. People who were ill were treated at home or went to the poorhouse/almshouse. Household medicine was nearly identical to hospital treatment. In the early 20th century major scientific advances were made in germ theory, antiseptic surgery, clinical pathology, x-ray, and more. Acute care was centered in hospitals, such as the ones closest to Peterborough in Keene, Nashua, and Fitchburg, MA. There was little chance for a rapid medical response or immediate physician contact in our small rural community. In 1915 Robert M Parmelee and his wife Alice Elizabeth Parker Parmelee began to build Evergreen, their summer home in Peterborough. It was situated on 70 acres with a beautiful view of Monadnock. Site work was a labor-intensive operation in the early 1900s. Horse power went hand in hand with manual labor. In 1917 the home’s value was assessed at $35,776 ($353,718.08 adjusted*): “It can be established that it will be supported by the people of Peterborough and the adjacent country, if they can be made to feel that it is theirs and so conducted that they (the residents) will be proud of it.” – Robert Parmelee World War I slowed progress on the fundraising and conversion of the home to a hospital. In December 1918, 185 generous community members pledged $10,330.40 ($200,215.35 adjusted*) for each year over a period of five years. In March 1919 Mrs. Benjamin P. Cheney and Mrs. Elizabeth C. Kauffman underwrote the entire $200,000 ($3,876,236.20 adjusted*) needed to renovate the Parmelee house and equip it as a hospital. Robert Parmelee wrote, “I am so glad to have my friends and neighbors share with me in this, which will make us all, I trust, better neighbors, better friends.” On March 28, 1919 the first meeting of the Peterborough Hospital Corporation was held. After many contributions from the war-burdened community and the efforts of many committee members and skilled craftsmen, the Peterborough Hospital opened its doors to begin caring for the community on June 21, 1923. There were few rural communities the size of the Monadnock region that could boast having its own modern hospital.

Room rates 1923:
Room with three beds (ward): $2.50 ($42.79 adjusted*)	Private room: $3.50-5.00 ($59.90-$85.57 adjusted*)	Private room with bath: $7.00/day ($119.80 adjusted*)

The capacity was twelve beds. Most rooms were furnished as wards with three beds. Room rates were $2.50 per room with three beds ($42.79 adjusted*), $3.50-5.00 private rooms ($59.90-$85.57 adjusted*), one private room with bath was $7.00/day ($119.80 adjusted*). There were four permanent doctors, 12 associate physicians, 47 medical consultants from as far as Boston. There were six bassinettes in the maternity ward.

Doctors:
1923:
4 permanent doctors	12 associate physicians		47 medical consultants
1974: 29 members medical team
2023: 108 active doctors		41 associate doctors

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A hand-colored vintage photograph of The Peterboro Hospital in Peterboro, New Hampshire. The building is a two-story brick structure with a symmetrical facade, featuring a central entrance with a white portico and cupola on the roof. The hospital is surrounded by a grassy area and trees. The photo has a nostalgic feel, highlighting the hospital's historical significance.

An aerial view of Monadnock Community Hospital surrounded by a lush forest with autumn foliage. The hospital complex consists of multiple interconnected brick buildings with parking lots and landscaped areas. Cars are parked in the lots, and the main entrance is marked by a curved driveway and canopy. The backdrop features rolling hills covered in vibrant fall colors, creating a picturesque and serene setting.

THE PETERBOROUGH HOSPITAL 1923 In the autumn of 1919, Robert Parmelee donated his recently constructed summer residence to the town of Peterborough for use as a community hospital. Over the next few years, as the Hospital staff and administration was organized, the property was thoroughly renovated to serve its new purpose. MONADNOCK COMMUNITY HOSPITAL 2023 MCH is now a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical services. We are committed to caring for our community by providing innovative programs and care for our patients. MCH’s strong leadership and dedicated medical staff enable us to meet the ever-changing requirements of today’s healthcare environment.

A black-and-white photograph of a nursery room with a fireplace, a chair, and several cribs along the wall. The room has a simple, yet cozy, appearance, reflecting the care environment for newborns in a historical hospital setting.

A color photograph of a birthing room featuring a birthing tub, comfortable chair, and medical equipment. The room is designed to provide a comfortable and soothing environment for childbirth, with soft lighting and modern amenities.

MATERNITY WARD 1923 The first baby, a healthy boy from Nashua, was born at 3 AM on July 1, 1923, by cesarean section. BIRTHING SUITE 2023 Today, mom and baby stay together following birth, bonding in a bright, comfortable private room in the Birthing Suite, which features a large labor tub, birthing balls, and other comfort options during labor.

1958 - Participating in a Disaster Nursing Training program in 1958 were Minnie Hayden, Catherine L "Hodgie" Hodgen, Rachel Towle, Hazel Cadwell, unknown, Lillian Mahoney

Group of Monadnock Community Hospital healthcare professionals standing together outside in front of a brick building, all wearing blue uniforms and smiling at the camera.

NURSE TRAINING 1923 From the start, nurses were instrumental to the success of the Hospital. In the early days, our nurses were housed in a hospital wing! TRAINING IN THE SIM LAB 2023 Simulation Training at MCH allows hospital staff and community partners to practice skills that enhance patient care without any risk of patient harm.

1923 - Operating room A black-and-white photograph of an early operating room with a surgical table, various medical instruments, oxygen tanks, and equipment. The room has tiled walls and a sterile appearance, highlighting the medical practices of the time.

A color photograph of an operating room featuring a large monitor displaying medical imaging, along with various surgical equipment and instruments. The room is ready for a surgical procedure, reflecting the advanced technology used in modern healthcare.

OPERATING ROOM 1923 A 1923 surgeon describes the two operating rooms as, “Both tiled from floor to ceiling, are the latest in size, arrangement, regulation of temperature, ventilation, and light. There are none better, but few as good.” OPERATING ROOM 2023 The surgical services department was renovated in 2011 with 6,000 additional square feet added on, which allowed two state-of-the-art Operating Rooms to be included, providing surgical capabilities for 15 surgeons and over 1,000 surgeries per year.

A color photograph of a modern X-ray room with advanced imaging equipment, including a large X-ray machine and a patient table. The room is clean and well-organized, reflecting current medical imaging technology.

X-RAY ROOM 1933 The Hospital’s first X-ray machine was purchased in 1926, representing a scientific leap forward in diagnosis. In 1933, on our tenth anniversary, Mrs. Carl Kaufmann donated the money needed to buy the latest, state-of-the-art X-ray equipment. X-RAY ROOM 2023 Today’s X-ray equipment produces instant, low-dose images that are immediately available to interpreting radiologists to expedite diagnosis and treatment. The radiology department at MCH has expanded from a single X-ray machine to multiple X-ray suites, CT, Ultrasound, Mammography, MRI, and more.

1961 - The early Hospital was made to look as much like a cheerful home as possible, with a small kitchen on each floor. As the Hospital grew, so did its dietary needs, leading to expansions. Marjorie Haselton was a MCH dietician from 1935-1974.

A color photograph of a modern hospital kitchen with two staff members working. One is smiling at the camera while opening an oven, and the other is preparing food in the background. The kitchen is equipped with stainless steel appliances and cooking utensils, reflecting a contemporary and well-equipped culinary environment.

KITCHEN 1961 The early Hospital was made to look as much like a cheerful home as possible, with a small kitchen on each floor. As the Hospital grew, so did its dietary needs, leading to expansions. KITCHEN 2023 The MCH Cafeteria, now known as “Our Town Café,” was renovated in 2015. The dietary team is comprised of 28 employees and serves up to 80 patient meals and 450 cafeteria transactions on any given day.

A black-and-white photograph of Dr. Chandler sitting beside a piece of medical equipment. He is dressed in a suit and appears focused on the device, reflecting the medical technology and professional attire of the period.

A color photograph of a modern surgical room with a medical professional in blue scrubs and a surgical mask seated next to an anesthesia machine and various monitors. The equipment includes a Philips monitor and a Datex-Ohmeda anesthesia machine, highlighting the advanced medical technology used during surgeries.

ANESTHESIA 1963 The early years of the Hospital saw significant advances in the science of anesthesia, from the introduction of anesthesia machines in the 1930s to new, safer anesthetic drugs, devices that made intubation safer and more effective, and the introduction of the first intravenous anesthetics. ANESTHESIA 2023 The team consists of four board-certified anesthesiologists that have the ability to provide ultrasound-guided nerve block and video capability for difficult intubation. They perform over 1,800 procedures in the OR each year. As we celebrate 100 years of service, Monadnock Community Hospital stands as a testament to the power of community, innovation, and dedication. From the generous donation that established The Peterborough Hospital in 1919 to our current status as a leading healthcare provider, we have consistently evolved to meet the needs of our community. Our journey reflects the unwavering commitment to excellence and compassion that defines us. As we look to the future, we remain dedicated to advancing healthcare and improving the well-being of every individual we serve. Here’s to the next century of care, innovation, and community at MCH! ) [_page_sections_1_wysiwyg] => Array ( [0] => field_5a79c5dfc5cca ) [page_sections_1_width] => Array ( [0] => normal ) [_page_sections_1_width] => Array ( [0] => field_5af99fbbc9de1 ) [page_sections] => Array ( [0] => a:5:{i:0;s:4:"hero";i:1;s:7:"wysiwyg";i:2;s:7:"wysiwyg";i:3;s:7:"wysiwyg";i:4;s:9:"post_grid";} ) [_page_sections] => Array ( [0] => field_5a74c7ee071c2 ) [_yoast_wpseo_primary_category] => Array ( [0] => 4 ) [_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score] => Array ( [0] => 90 ) [_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords] => Array ( [0] => [] ) [_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms] => Array ( [0] => [""] ) [_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes] => Array ( [0] => 1 ) [page_sections_2_section_title] => Array ( [0] => ) [_page_sections_2_section_title] => Array ( [0] => field_5ada5134d3021 ) [page_sections_2_wysiwyg] => Array ( [0] =>

Learn more about the history of Monadnock Community Hospital

View our slideshow with historical photos - Celebrating 100 years at Monadnock Community Hospital

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MCH 2023 Annual Report

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