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Public Relations / Marketing OfficerDavid Bruzzese For Immediate Release Mercy Regional Medical Center celebrates 125 years of caring for the community DURANGO, Colo.—On Saturday, June 30, more than 100 people gathered at the hospital to celebrate Mercy Regional Medical Center’s 125th anniversary. The highlight of the day was opening a time capsule that was found in the cornerstone of a patient wing that was added to Mercy Hospital in 1952. The capsule was recovered before the hospital relocated to a new facility last summer. Inside the 55-year-old time capsule were several religious medals, a written history of the hospital, a list of building project donors, a fundraising campaign brochure, newspapers, photos of the doctors and Sisters of Mercy who worked at the hospital, and other small treasures. Joanne Spina, chair of Mercy’s board of directors, had the honor of opening the capsule. Some of the items will be sealed in the hospital’s new time capsule, which will be placed at the hospital in September, and some of the items may be displayed on the hospital’s Wall of History. Durango's first hospital, Mercy Hospital of the San Juans, was founded by Mother Mary Baptist Meyers and four other Sisters of Mercy who traveled to the small mining town from St. Louis, Mo., in 1882. Over the years, various hospital structures were built, remodeled, and replaced at the original site until June 27, 2006, when the hospital relocated to an $82 million, state-of-the-art medical facility located at 1010 Three Springs Blvd. in the Grandview area of Durango. A new city library is now under construction at the hospital's former location on East Third Ave. # # # photos of the anniversary event and time capsule contents are available upon request. |
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