History

Douglas County Health Center (previously Douglas County Hospital) started as a "pest house" in 1886. Since that time, great strides have been made and a number of special units/services were established to meet the many changing needs of the community. Over the years, the facility's commitment has included:

• Caring for individuals with tuberculosis
• Caring for the mentally ill
• Providing one of the first Polio treament centers in the area
• Providing the first Emergency Room that handled all trauma cases
• Becoming the "hub" of emergency care in the city
• Providing general medical-surgical services
• Providing rehabilitation services, the first such services in the area
• Providing the first contagious disease unit in the city
• Caring for children with disabilities through ENCOR
• Providing alcohol treatment
• Caring for the aged and disabled

Today, Douglas County Health Center no longer houses hospital functions. Ever changing to meet the needs of the community, Douglas County Health Center's primary focus is the provision of Assisted Living, Long Term Care, and Skilled Nursing Services.

The move away from acute medical services brought about a change in the name of the facility to more accurately reflect the services provided. Douglas County Hospital's name changed to Douglas County Health Center in June, 2001.