News

St. Andrew's Hospital celebrates 100 years

By Scott Wagar

05/07/2013

In 1929, St. Andrew’s Hospital in Bottineau constructed a new wing to its hospital, which doubled the size of the health care facility and resolved a problem of overcrowding in caring for its patients. At the same time, it started a school of nursing which was so successful and in demand that it constructed a nursing home and school in 1939.

By late 1950s, overcrowding had once again become a problem for St. Andrew’s Hospital. To resolve the problem, a second addition was added on to the north side of the 1920 hospital facility.

Unlike the festive dedications which were held with the original 1913 wooden frame hospital under Monsignor Joseph Andrieux and the Sister of Mary of the Presentation; the 1920 brick facility that replaced the wooden frame edifice; the 1929 addition and the 1939 nursing home, there was no pageantry for the north addition which opened in 1957.

“Quietly, without pomp or ceremony, the new $350,000 wing to St. Andrew’s Hospital in Bottineau was opened for use on Dec. 7, 1956. Without interruption in their duties, doctors, sisters and nurses, as well as all employees of the hospital, included the new addition to their tour of duties, as though it had always been there, and yet, admiring the shining beauty and efficient arrangement as they passed through its corridors. For indeed the new wing is a thing of beauty,” stated a Jan. 24, 1958, article in the Bottineau Courant. “Three stories tall, the new wing has been added to the north of its present hospital building. In this new wing were added those items and facilities which were in greatest need. Those which could give great patient service and contribute to a more efficient operation and those which were long desired yet felt other things were needed first. In this there are five more patient rooms; an enlarged completely equipped delivery room; a beautiful 10 bassinet nursery; a central supply room; a modern well equipped laundry; as well as several other rooms of different uses. And in addition to all these, there is a new ambulance garage for handling of ambulance cases.

During the construction of the north wing, the Sister of Mary of the Presentation, who own and operated St. Andrew’s Hospital, and who placed their faith in God to provide for their needs, saw God grant them a blessing through the Ford Foundation, which donated the Sisters of Mary a $28,000 grant to assist them in building the hospital. (The Ford Foundation was founded by Edsel Ford and two other executives in 1936 after Edsel donated a large sum of money for the foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to support visionary leaders and organizations on the frontlines of social change worldwide. The Ford Foundation for decades has been one of the principal philanthropy throughout the entire world.)

Credit for the new hospital wing went to one individual, who, in all actuality, never saw the building completed.

“All of this improvement must have been dreamed and planned by someone, and if any credit is to be given, and everyone desires a lot of it, the new wing was the dream of Mother Helen Marie who served the hospital for so many years. Unfortunately, she was transferred just before the new building was put into operation. She is now at Spring Valley, IL,” added the Jan. 24, 1958, newspaper article. “Bottineau, the surrounding community, and the large area which the hospital serves can well be proud of the facilities offered by St. Andrew’s Hospital. It is a growth and development of this area we cannot measure. It has been with us and served us so long and so efficiently we look upon it as our own. And, that is exactly what it is, there for you and yours; to bring you comfort in time of illness, and surety in time of good health. It serves every race and creed. It is a bulwark in our democratic way of life.”

As time moved forward for St. Andrew’s Hospital, the Sisters of the Presentation made the decision in the late 1960’s to construct a more modern hospital to care for their patients.

After years of fundraising the ground was broke in 1968 for the present day health facility which stands today. The $2.5 million project was started in May of 1968 and was completed in February of 1970. Due to a difficult winter, no dedication was held that February by the Presentation. Instead, the Sisters did what they did best in life; they just moved their patients and staff into the new facility and went to business of caring for people’s health and souls.

“Transfer of the patients, geriatrics and personnel of the old St. Andrew’s Hospital to the new hospital was completed smoothly Wednesday morning, reports Sister Katherine Marie, hospital administrator. Equipment, supplies and other items were moved previously in preparation for transfer of the patients. The final surgery was performed in the old hospital on Tuesday morning, with surgery scheduled in the new hospital on Wednesday morning. “We are pretty well settled in this wonderful, modern new hospital, which can be the pride of the whole community which worked so hard for its completion,” said Sister Katherine Marie,” stated the Bottineau Courant on Feb. 18, 1970.

Outside of all the departments that were located in the old hospital, the Sisters of Mary added a dietary department to the new hospital, which David Volk directed.

As for the 1920 hospital facility and its 1929 south wing, those building were razed during the construction phase of the 1970 hospital project. The nursing home/school was razed in 1996 so St. Andrew’s could construct its senior apartments.
The 1957 north wing still stands today and is utilized as offices, storage space and apartments for staff members who travel far distances to assistances from their homes to work shifts at the care facility.   

Today, The Sister of Mary of Presentation continues to be the sponsors of St. Andrew’s Health Center. The facility has over 100 employees which care for 25 acute care beds in a critical access hospital that is a Trauma V Level facility. It also has a rural health clinic and senior complex with 14 apartments.

The hospital has a 24-hour emergency room, acute care and observation, mental health services, physical therapy, stress testing, respite care, laboratory, cardiac rehabilitation, cardiolite stress testing, community coordinator resources, swing bed program, blood bank, pastoral care services and Medic Alert Service.

There is also a radiology department (CT scan, digital mammography, EKG), mobile services (ultrasound, MRI, nuclear medicine and Dexa scan), surgical procedures (sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, EDG, cataract surgery, YAG and other general services) and contacted speech and occupational therapy services.

St. Andrew’s also has visiting specialists in cardiology, gastroenterology, obstetrics, rural mental health care and orthopedics.

Of all the physicians at St. Andrew’s Health Center, Dr. Ken Kihle has served the health center the longest with providing care for 53 of the 100 years the facility has been in operation.

St. Andrew’s Ladies Auxiliary has also played a major role in St. Andrew’s Health Center. Through the auxiliary’s volunteers they have raised money for the facility and cared for the patients in true dedication.  

With St. Andrew’s Health Center celebrating 100 years this week, the community can celebrate Andrieux, the Sisters of Mary of the Presentation and all its staff in the thousands of lives they cared for and saved; the number of nurses they educated and individuals who have gained employment through the facility.

St. Andrew’s is a God send, a special gift given to the city and it surrounding areas through the prayers and hard work of Andrieux and the Sisters of Mary, who a century ago brought it upon themselves to bring a hospital to our area with one simple goal in mind, saving lives through ministerial care so individuals could have much longer and happier lives. In 100 years, that’s the greatest gift one can give a community.