About Us

Lake Region Healthcare Corporation timeline, based on newspaper articles and the Ottertail County Historical Society.

St. Luke’s Hospital 1902 to 1953

1902, Oct. 16—Excavating of building begins.

1903, September—Building is dedicated.

1916—Addition is built to south of building.

1917, April 12—John Lauritzen receives $25,000 contract for large addition.

1923, Nov. 8—St. Luke’s Hospital is approved by college of surgeons.

1927, Sep. 24—New wing is finished.

1928, Aug. 8—The new addition is dedicated.

1928—Building with addition is added to main building and north building.

1939, Feb. 16—St. Luke's Hospital is now a 75-bed hospital.

1947, November—Hospital is now free of debt.

Wright Memorial Hospital 1905 to 1953

1903, May—Wright family proposes to build as gift to the city.

1903, Sep. 17—Association is formed.

1904, May—Foundation work begins.

1905, November—Ownership of the hospital is transferred to the association.

1905, May 25—Officially organized previous week.

1906, Jan. 1—Hospital opens to public New Year's Day; north addition added; west addition added.

1911, February—New Studebaker Ambulance is bought for the Wright and St. Luke’s hospitals for $700.

1920, June 3—Nurses home is built.

1927, June 15—It was decided to expand the hospital.

1928, Aug. 19—25th anniversary and dedication of enlarged hospital.

1928, Aug. 23—New wing opens.

1933—Hospital receives $20,000 from the estate of the late Dr. T. N. Kittelson.

1953, Oct. 21—Property is sold to Otter Tail Power Company.

1953, Dec. 18—Hospital closes.

Lake Region Healthcare Corporation

1951—St. Luke’s and Wright Memorial merge.

1952, March 4—Plans begin to build addition.

1953, Dec. 30—Patients move from Wright Memorial to St. Luke’s hospital, forming a single unit.

1954, Sep. 13—Hospital is fully accredited.

1955, Jan. 19—Plans complete for new hospital project/drawing for addition.

1955, Jan. 22—Hospital purchases a new x-ray unit.

1955, March 4—Loan is needed.

1955, April—Groundbreaking for remodeling project.

1955, Aug. 12—Hospital ranks high in the nation.

1955, Nov. 26—H. E. Swenson heads hospital drive.

1955, Dec. 13—Hospital receives $47,000 from Ford Foundation.

1956, Jan. 19—$196,806 goal is set.

1957, May 22—Tumor clinic opens.

1957, Aug. 7—Wright Memorial Hospital is torn down.

1958, Jan. 17—Children’s recovery room is pledged.

1958, March 19—Snack bar completes its first year.

1958, June 28—Hospital is dedicated.

1958, June 30—Open house event takes place with 1,000 touring.

1958, Oct. 17—Hospital receives $400 grant from the American Cancer Society.

1959, May 14—Convalescent ward for children is added.

1959, Dec. 31—Physical therapy starts.

1959, Dec. 5—Hospital receives polio equipment from national foundation.

960, May 9—Auxiliary purchases turning bed.

1963, Aug. 2—Hospital acquires purchase agreements in block, buys homes for expansion.

1965, July 16—$469,979 is allocated from Hill-Burton Fund.

1968—Remodeling adds the long-term care unit.

1973, April—Opened the four-bed detox unit.

1973, Dec. 26—Five-bed intensive coronary care unit replaces two-bed.

1975, March 7—32 doctors serve 5,000 patients this year.

1978, March—Ultrasound diagnostic unit added.

1980—Two new floors are added to the hospital.

1980—There is an registered nurse shortage.

1981, Jan. 20—New emergency room is added.

1983, Sep. 21—Computed tomography (CT) mobile unit is added.

1985, July 12—New emergency response center, Lifeline is added.

1985—New sports medicine clinic opens.

1986, Feb. 3—CT unit scanner is added.

1986, Sep. 17—New mammogram unit is installed.

1987, March—Hospital acquires a new Surgilaser.

1988—Hospital opens new birthing suites.

1988, Oct. 6—Psychiatric unit opens.

1989, Nov. 25—One of four new operating rooms opens.

1991—Cardiac rehabilitation is added.

1993—First chaplain of the hospital begins. 

1995—Construction begins on $5.455 million project for a new assisted living facility on the Lake Region Healthcare campus.

1996, Oct. 1—Mill Street Residence, an assisted living facility, opened its doors.

1998, Feb. 10—Plans for expansion begin.

1999, Feb. 25—Operating room and ambulatory surgery area are added.

2002, June—$7.5 million in renovations begin.

2003, September—Landmark is completed on medical campus.

2004—Center for Rehabiliation 14-bed unit is built.

2004—Physical Medicine Department expands.

2004—Birthing Suite is relocated and updated.

2004—Bridgeway Inpatient Psychiatric is relocated and expanded from 9 to 14 beds.

2004—Radiology Department replaces its CT scan, special fluoroscopy and nuclear medicine equipment.

2004—New interventional radiology suite is installed.

2005—Internet connectivity, including wireless, is now available.

2005, August—Construction begins for a mobile scanner pad and a helipad.

2005—Land purchased for $672,000 for new clinic building in Ashby.

2005, December—$5.2 million expansion and renovation project in the Emergency and Radiology departments begins.

2006, October—Construction of the $2 million Mehl Center begins.

2006—Center for Rehabilitation and SameDay surgery projects begin.

2006, November—New storage building on Mill Street is completed.

2007, January—$579,000 helipad project completed.

2007, December—Center for Rehabilitation and SameDay surgery projects completed.

2008, January—Expansion of the emergency department by four additional treatment rooms and a new double ambulance bay garage completed.

2008, March—Radiology extensive renovation project is completed, including most rooms being enlarged, and the addition of an interventional radiological suite and mammography suite. All patient dressing areas and restrooms were enlarged and a waiting room was relocated to be more convenient.

2008, April—Public dedication of Mehl Center, including celebration of opening the Athletic Republic takes place.

2008, July—Pharmacy remodel is completed.

2008, June—Lake Region Healthcare and the Lake Region Healthcare Foundation launch the first capital campaign in approximately 35 years to construct a $9.6 million comprehensive cancer care center. The 15,000-square-foot cancer center will be built on the south portion of the Lake Region Healthcare campus. It is scheduled to open in late 2009 and, when completed, will consolidate existing services and provide expanded comprehensive cancer care services, including radiation, to our patients.