Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff is marking its centennial this year and celebrated with an open house on the weekend.
Past Board Chair Hod Kosman told the crowd the Regional West, initially located in a former hotel in downtown Scottsbluff, was born out of a need and desire for health care in the region
Kosman said the regional nature of the hospital and its related services is evidenced by its Board of Trustees – which has more than 80 members from communities throughout both the Panhandle and eastern Wyoming.
He praised the way Regional West continues to evolve to meet regional needs, such as it becoming a Level 2 trauma center/
” Kosman pointed to the future and the impact of technology on the quality of healthcare at Regional West – such as robotic surgery and telemedicine.
Other speakers at the Open House included Scottsbluff Mayor Jeannie McKerrigan, Regional West CEO Mel McNea and surgeon Dr Jeffrey Holoway.
The Open House featured displays of pictures and items spanning the hospital’s 100 years, including a bariatric chamber used in the treatment of polio, a candy-stripper uniform, and the capstone of a 75th anniversary time capsule and its contents.
Items were also gathered for a 100th anniversary time capsule, including COVID-19 related items such as a mask and a dose of the Moderna vaccine, an anniversary celebration program, and a 100th anniversary challenge coin.