Our History

1970-1979

1970

Another first: Highland Hospital bans cigarette sales.

Tuition refund plan is offered to Highland employees as a benefit.

1972

Highland Hospital Foundation is established, dedicated to securing funds for the hospital. The Foundation seeks financial support through various approaches which include annual and special appeals, major capital gifts, bequests, grants, and memorials.

1973

The Women's Board of Highland becomes the Highland Hospital Auxiliary.

The Gannett Foundation donates corporate stock to be used for emergency and ambulatory care.

1974-1979

A new linear accelerator for radiation and treatment of cancer patients is installed. This is made possible by a major grant from the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, Davenport-Hatch Foundation, and Ebsary Foundation, plus many other individual gifts.

1974

Highland's ramp-garage, providing 497 parking spaces, opens.

A large bequest from Margaret Woodbury Strong helps fund a major expansion of patient care facilities in the West Wing.

1975

Highland begins BEAT THE BLAHS, a fun time that is set aside each year during the winter doldrums, uniting management, professional staff, and support staff and bringing a smile to the faces of everyone involved, smiles that are taken back to the patient care areas and shared with patients.

1977

After 10 years of diligent effort including planning, design, financing, and eventual construction, Highland's new West Wing opens. This major project includes the areas of: surgery; intensive care unit; operating suite of eight rooms; expanded Emergency Department; Outpatient Department for a wide variety of ambulatory care services; labor floor, delivery rooms, nursery units; Physiotherapy Department; cancer therapy unit; admissions and business office; lobby; services building; and the addition of 160 acute care beds.

Monies are received from Caroline Gannett, which are dedicated to the hospital's landscaping.

The Radiation Oncology Department is renamed the Daisy Marquis Jones Radiation Oncology Center.

1979

Highland Hospital School of Nursing closes its doors. Highland's nurses, totaling 1,755 graduates, have passed through Highland's halls to serve in all areas of the profession and throughout the world.

Additional gifts to Highland make possible further expansion to the hospital:

• Funds from the estate of Edwin and Clara Strasenburgh are used to construct a clinical laboratory named in their honor.

• Bertha Guptill bequeaths funds which make possible the construction of a new Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit, renamed in her memory.

• Laura DeChau donates funds which make possible an expansion in the Department of Medical Oncology, named in honor of her son.