GAINESVILLE, TX – North Texas Medical Center (NTMC) is celebrating a milestone this month with 20 years of service to the North Texas and Southern Oklahoma area.
NTMC opened on Aug. 17, 2004 after more than a year of construction on the facility located on Hospital Boulevard on the west side of Gainesville.
The city of Gainesville has a long history of outstanding healthcare. For many years, the Gainesville Sanitarium was located on South Lindsay Street, while a privately-owned Medical and Surgical Hospital was located on O’Neal Street. In 1961, the Gainesville Hospital Authority was established by the Gainesville City Council, and both the Sanitarium and Medical/Surgical Hospital were purchased by the GHA in 1962. That paved the way for the construction of Gainesville Memorial Hospital on O’Neal Street in 1963.
The need for the creation of a hospital district was recognized in the early 1970’s, and Gainesville area voters approved formation of the Gainesville Hospital District (GHD) in 1975. A $4.9 million bond election also passed in 1975, providing financing for the construction of a second-floor patient wing, expansion of facilities for all departments and renovation of the 1963 structure.
As the community continued to grow, the need for a larger, more modern facility grew as well. In February 2002, GHD voters passed a $26.5 million bond issue for construction of a new medical facility. The new facility also underwent a name change from Gainesville Memorial Hospital to North Texas Medical Center (NTMC) with the new name being announced on May 31, 2002.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2002, and construction started in January 2003. Construction was delayed in November 2003 when juveniles vandalized parts of the hospital frame by driving a scissors lift through the building. But the damage was repaired and construction continued.
A special dedication ceremony was held on July 30, 2004 with a public viewing of the facility on Aug. 1, 2004. Then less than three weeks later, the very first patient was admitted to NTMC.
Before that, hospital staff and volunteers spent many weeks moving equipment, furniture and files over from the old hospital to the new location. Several members of the 2004 staff are still employed at NTMC and they remember that experience.
“Moving into the new facility was exciting and scary, looking forward to growth for our community, but also keeping our team dynamics strong from GMH,” said Carla Wolf.
“It was nice to have new beds and bigger rooms,” said Mike Hacker. “It felt like the entire hospital was in orientation. We were not sure where anything was kept and not sure who to ask where it might be.”
Now 20 years later, the hospital continues to grow with new service lines and equipment being added. In 2018, the Gainesville Hospital District Board of Directors voted to lease the management of the hospital to Community Hospital Corporation, a non-profit company located in Plano. In 2023, North Texas Medical Center was named a 5-Star Hospital in both Patient Satisfaction and Quality of Care by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“NTMC is proud to have served our community at the current location for the past 20 years,” NTMC CEO Tom Sledge said. “While there have been struggles in the past, I expect a bright future as we continue to build on the success we’ve had over the last six years.”
Today, NTMC is a 125,000-square-foot medical center that houses 42 medical/surgical beds, a six-bed intensive care unit, and a 12-bed women’s center. Also included in the medical facility are a 15-bed outpatient surgery center, an expanded surgical department, an in-house laboratory, therapy services, a cardiac rehab center and an expanded emergency department (five fast-track, three trauma and three specialty rooms).
NTMC serves the residents of Cooke, eastern Montague, western Grayson and northern Denton counties in Texas and southern Love County, Oklahoma.
For more information, please visit www.ntmconline.net.
Several current North Texas Medical Center employees were on the staff in 2004 when the hospital opened its facility. They include (left to right), front row: Chris Tidwell (House Sup), Susan Whitley (WC RN), Mike Hacker (ED RN), Jenny Corcoran, (OR RN), Holly Hillis (Mammography), Sarah Clure (ED RN), Marcy Mullins (Imaging); middle row: Sandy Carpenter (WC RN), Leah Bayer (HIM Director), Barbie Felderhoff (Pre-Op RN), Lisa Turner (Swing Bed Sup/ RN), Carla Wolf (Pre-Op RN), Shana Galvan (MedSurg Clerk), Brenda Case (Pre-Op RN), Sandra Walterscheid (ED RN), Kristie Bayer (Cardiac Rehab RN), Heath Odell (Imaging), Gala Coakley (EVS); front row: James Hennigan (Imaging Director), Donna Otts (Accounting), Jo Ann Hudson (Hospital Billing), and Pamela Garrett (PACU RN). Not pictured are: Jason Endres (Imaging), Rita Motsenbocker (ICU RN), Jennifer Hesse (ICU RN), Tim Sampert (Pharmacist), Jana Colteryahn (PM RRT Respiratory), Frances Powers (PM RRT Respiratory), Cindy Wilborn (WC RN).
