Cape Osteopathic Hospital opens its doors

When considering the history of medicine in Cape Girardeau, the founding of Saint Francis Medical Center in 1875 and Southeast Hospital (now Mercy Hospital Southeast) in 1928 come to mind.

A third hospital opened its doors in Cape Girardeau in 1949, but it is hardly ever talked about: Cape Osteopathic Hospital. It operated in the former residence of John L. Miller at the southwest corner of Spanish and Merriwether streets for 20 years.

Here's how the Southeast Missourian covered Cape Osteopathic Hospital's opening.

Cape Osteopathic Hospital, the former John Miller home at Spanish and Merriwether streets, opened its doors in 1949. Completely remodeled, the four-story structure had all new hospital equipment to serve its capacity of 24 adult beds, two children's beds, eight bassinets and two incubators. This photo was taken in the 1950s. (G.D. Fronabarger ~ Southeast Missourian archive)

Published Saturday, April 2, 1949:

FORMAL OPENING PLANNED FOR OSTEOPATHIC HOSPITAL

The Cape Osteopathic Hospital, representing a $90,000 investment by the city's osteopathic physicians and surgeons, has opened its doors to emergency patients and will welcome the public at a formal open house observance April 24.

Only the final details of construction remain, and they are all of a minor nature which are expected to be completed within a few days.

Serving as temporary superintendent of the hospital in the remodeled building at the corner of Merriwether and Spanish streets is Dr. N.J. Newell, surgeon-in-chief of the 40 doctors from Southeast Missouri who comprise the staff.

Head of hospital

He came to his new position six weeks ago from the Ozark Osteopathic Hospital at Springfield and is residing with his wife and two children at 208 S. Pacific St. His work as superintendent is only of a fill-in nature until the hospital is formally opened and ready for general acceptance of patients. Then he will be relieved of these duties by a layman.

Visitors at the open house later this month will find a shiny, new hospital, attractively arranged for convenience of patients, doctors and visitors. And they will be pleased with the soft tones of a color scheme which is different in every room.

At the door they will be greeted by the receptionist's desk to the left. Through double doors they will see the patient's lounge, with comfortable seats for ambulatory patients and a station for nurses in one corner.

On first floor

Surrounding the lounge are various first-floor rooms. They range from private to two, three and four-bed wards. To the right of the lounge is the nursery, containing eight multi-purpose bassinets, with each baby's clothing, powder, baby oil and other supplies kept separate from that of the others. A formula room with refrigeration and hot plate units is just off the nursery. Ultra violet lamps keep the air germ free in the nursery.

Additional bed space for a number of patients is on the second floor, which also has a central lounge room for patients and visitors. Sterilizing equipment is being installed on this floor.

The third floor contains the main sterilizing room, fully equipped for the latest devices and with a still for preparation of distilled water and storage tanks for hot and cold sterile water. The major and minor surgical rooms are also housed here, with large, overhead Castle lamps furnishing shadowless light for operations. Mercury switches are in both to avoid spark-ignited explosions or fires while anesthetic is in use. Forced, filtered air ventilation is in the major surgical room.

Other features

Maternity patients are cared for in a labor room just across the hall from the delivery room.

In the basement are the kitchen, pantry, furnace and hot water heating room, the x-ray room, complete laboratory, laundry and emergency and treatment room, to be used particularly for out-patients who must take various tests.

A feature of the hospital is the system by which patients may call nurses. A call box is in each room. A push button at each bed notifies the nurse on that floor of the room and bed the call is coming from. The patient can talk to the nurse without the latter going to the bedside.

Furniture, all new, is Simmons matched steel. Beds can be regulated to sitting position by patients by a slight pressure of the hand. They may raise their feet by a similar pressure on another lever.

An elevator serves all four floors and may be reached directly by the ambulance along the south wall of the building.

The total adult bed capacity of the hospital is 25. There are two beds for children, and eight bassinets and two incubators in the nursery.

Cost to $90,000

The property was purchased by the Osteopaths at a cost of $20,000. Another $40,000 was spent in remodeling and $30,000 was paid for the equipment. The building was erected in 1906 by John Miller and was later sold to Ernest Carter, from whom it was purchased by J. Mott Douglass. Purchase by the doctors was from him.

Heading the association operating the hospital is Dr. C.W. Kinsey as president. Dr. R.M. Stevenson is vice president and Dr. P.A. McGuerty is secretary-treasurer.

Members of the nursing staff are headed by Mrs. Lucille Meystedt as nurse-in-charge. Others on the nursing staff are: Miss Carrie Brunke, Mrs. Joyce Webb, Mrs. Gloria Hughes, Mrs. Hazel Fornkohl, Mrs. Mary Hayden, Miss Vera Don Eaker, Miss Patsy Wood, Mrs. Helen Rose, Mrs. Lucille Ross and Mrs. Georgia Givens.

Mrs. Betty Summers is laboratory technician under Dr. M. Marguerite Fuller, who has charge of the lab. Receptionists are Mrs. Dorothy Ramsey and Miss Kathleen Sanders. Mrs. Evelyn Deno and Mrs. Edna Tilley make up the kitchen force. James Deno and Paul Ulrich are maintenance men and Miss Lorraine Hurt is maid.

Published Monday, April 25, 1949, in the Southeast Missourian:

MANY VISITORS AS HOSPITAL HAS FORMAL OPENING IN GIRARDEAU

Arriving an hour earlier than the set time, and staying an hour later, a crowd estimated at 2,000 persons was shown the new Cape Osteopathic Hospital at its formal opening Sunday afternoon.

Miss Lena Bell Twaddell, hospital administrator, said the visitors began arriving at 1:30 o'clock and continued to go through until 5:30 o'clock. The hospital was filled during the entire period, she said.

First viewed was the first floor patients' lounge, the nursery, formula room and incubators. On the second floor private rooms were seen and on the third floor major and minor surgery rooms, delivery room and others, were observed.

The groups were next taken to the basement to see the kitchen, dining room, laboratory and laundry and were given a brochure describing the hospital.

Many flowers sent

Cars were parked for a considerable area around the hospital during the period. Many congratulatory flowers decorated the hospital and a large number of telegrams from doctor's friends, state and national associations were received.

A feature of the opening was a five-tiered cake baked by Mrs. William Pixley of Advance, a patient. At the top was a replica of the hospital. Patients who are able will each receive a piece of the cake.

Builders are honored

As preview to the formal opening, congratulations of the profession elsewhere and of the community were extended district osteopaths at a dinner-meeting Saturday night at Colonial Tavern. Principal address was made by Dr. Wallace M. Pearson, member of the faculty of the Kirksville College of Osteopathy and representative in the Legislature from Adair County.

Dr. C.W. Kinsey, president of the hospital association, presided and presented the Rev. R.C. Holliday of Centenary Methodist Church, who was toastmaster. Out of town osteopaths were introduced.

Pointing to what the hospital means to the community, Dr. Pearson said that the $100,000 it cost represents that much of a saving to an over-taxed public.

Discussing the health needs of the nation, Dr. Pearson said the well-to-do and to a certain extent charity patients get satisfactory medical care. "The in-between groups are the ones desperately in need of better care," he declared.

"Every year," he asserted, "325,000 people die whom we have the knowledge and skills to save; 4,300,000 man-years are lost through bad health; $27,000,000 in national wealth is lost through sickness, partial disability or total disability."

After pointing out what has been done in recent years, the speaker said there is much yet to do, and said that of the 3,800 death per day 900, or 23%, can be prevented; sickness that prevents work efficiency can be prevented and industry can reduce occupational disease 63% and absenteeism 30%.

Concluding, he pointed out that in the past "we have measured the adequacy of health resources by the purchasing power of the community. In the future we must measure our resources and services against the actual health and medical needs of the people without regard for their individual ability to pay."

Those from out of town here for the dinner were: Dr. Wallace M. Pearson of Kirksville, Dr. Ellsworth B. Whitmer of Webster Groves, and Mrs. Dr. Earl H. Laughlin Jr. of Kirksville. Dr. and Mrs. D.W. Morris of Elvins, Dr. and Mrs. Gus Sallee of Warsaw, Dr. and Mrs. William L. Wetzel of Springfield, Dr. and Mrs. E.J. Grahan of Perryville, Dr. and Mrs. Roy Cronin of Perryville, Dr. and Mrs. A.L. Tindall of Jackson, Dr. and Mrs. J.J. Meyer of Lutesville, Dr. and Mrs. E.J. Masters of Advance, Dr. and Mrs. M.P. Brogan of Benton, Dr. and Mrs. M.E. Davidson of Columbus, Ohio, and Harry J. Farrar of Jefferson City.

The house that became Cape Osteopathic Hospital was constructed in 1906 for John L. Miller and his first wife, Annie Kaechele Miller. The 14-room residence, designed by architect L.B. Blackwood, was said to be one of the finest in the city when it was constructed.

Annie Miller died in 1907. In 1913 John married Didama M. "Damie" Wills, formerly of Oak Ridge, in St. Louis.

John Miller's obituary in 1937 described him as a "successful business man in Cape Girardeau... Early in life he entered business in a bank, and later took over his father's (saloon) business, which he conducted until 1918. He then for a short time operated a meat market, after which he moved to St. Louis, where he was identified with the hotel business for some time, and later worked for wholesale concerns. At one time he was considered one of the wealthiest men in Cape Girardeau."

However, I'm guessing he may have fallen on some tough times after his first wife died. The 1910 census shows he owned his residence on South Spanish Street, but 10 years later, the 1920 census shows the residence was mortgaged. And living with him and his second wife were five boarders.

In 1922 the property at Spanish and Merriwether was sold under a deed of trust by Sheriff William Browning at the Common Pleas Courthouse. The winning bidder was John S. Medley, acting for First National Bank. The following year, the bank sold the house to Ernest Karger, an employee of International Shoe Co.

The Miller house served as the osteopathic hospital from 1949 to 1969. In the 1950s, plans to replace it with a new medical facility on Minnesota Avenue were made. Land was purchased and a ground-breaking ceremony was held. However, the project met with financial difficulties. Eventually, an osteopathic hospital was built in Chaffee, and the Cape Girardeau hospital closed its doors in 1969.