DJWH HISTORY
Dr. John Warner was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, on July 24, 1819. Arriving in DeWitt County in 1842, he practiced medicine at Farmer City until 1843 when he moved to Clinton. He practiced medicine until 1856, often riding horseback for 50 miles to see a patient. Shortly before the Civil War he went into the banking business and accumulated a fortune.
A few months before his death on December 21, 1905, Dr. John Warner announced that he would erect a structure for hospital services and donate it to the public. It was his intention, often publicly expressed, not only to build a hospital, but to leave a fund for its support. But Dr. Warner did not live to fully carry out his goal. . Before his philanthropy could be realized by himself, he died; but, his will contained provision for the construction of the hospital.
Work was begun on the building which was completed in 1906. Unfortunately, there was no money for its maintenance nor for furnishings, and for four years the building stood idle. Various suggestions had been made regarding methods to secure funds for its operation. One proposition was to lease it to the Sisters of Charity and have it operated as a Catholic hospital but this was never accomplished.
Finally, in the spring of 1910, a proposition to levy a two-mill tax on property in Clinton for support and maintenance of the hospital was submitted to a vote and was carried by a gratifying majority. It was thought this two-mill tax would yield an income of about $2,500 annually.
Public support for the hospital has been a long-standing part of its heritage. In addition to tax revenue, the Clinton Racing Association agreed to donate a certain portion of its receipts to the hospital and the directors of the Weldon Springs Chautauqua also considered a like proposition. This money, in addition to the income from patients, was hoped to be sufficient to enable the hospital to be operated without incurring a deficit. As a matter of fact, it was thought the institution would be more than self sustaining.
The original structure cost about $25,000. The main building had a frontage of 90 feet and in the rear was a separate building connected by an enclosed passageway which would be devoted to the kitchen, dining room for nurses, and for the storage of general supplies.
The building was of pressed brick, with buff Bedford stone trimmings and was practically fireproof. There were twenty-five rooms for patients, a reception room, and a large hall off the main entrance. On the third floor, immediately under the roof where the light was perfect, the operating room was located.
In 1909, the hospital came under the ownership of the City of Clinton and remains city-owned today. The first patient was admitted January 20, 1911.
A new wing was added to the original structure in 1939, two new ward rooms and a boiler room were added in 1963 and extensive remodeling of the first floor was done at this time. The year 1970 heralded the opening of a new wing, which had been added to the south section of the original hospital. The modern facility we have today was completed on the original site in April 1978 and incorporated the wing built in 1970.
Recent years have brought many changes to the hospital. In 1999, a new Medical Office Building was completed which houses the hospital's Rural Health Center. In March 2000, the hospital attained Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status following state inspections and compliance with specific criteria. CAH status will allow the hospital better reimbursement for Medicare patients. In the fall of 2002, a new spiral CT scanner was installed in our Radiology Department, allowing for transmission of CT images digitally, directly to the physician's office.
The hospital currently has more than 150 employees, making it one of the major employers in DeWitt County. Dr. John Warner Hospital serves more than 1,000 inpatients, performs approximately 500 surgeries and serves more than 25,000 outpatients yearly.