Baptist Hospital (Nashville) - History

History

In 1918, an influenza epidemic ravaged Nashville and out of this crisis Baptist Hospital was established. Originally known as Protestant Hospital, it was incorporated on December 12, 1918, by L.A Bowers, Leslie Creek, E.B. Craig, R.M. Dudley and John A. Pitts.

The 10-and-a-half-acre plot bought from the Murphy estate consisted of two adjoining city blocks, bounded by four city streets: Patterson Street on the north, Church Street on the south, 20th Avenue on the east and 21st Avenue on the west. There were two buildings – one became the hospital and one became the dormitory for the School of Nursing.

On March 20, 1919, Protestant Hospital opened its doors. It was equipped with 80 beds and a fully equipped surgical department. In the first year alone, 2,233 patients were treated; 1,685 of them had major surgery. Gladys Kilby was the first patient admitted and gave birth to a baby girl, Anita Kilby Lewis.

Debt grew quickly during the Great Depression and during World War II. As a result of the ongoing financial difficulties, the ownership of Protestant Hospital was transferred to the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 1948 and became Mid-State Baptist Hospital. The name would later change to Baptist Hospital on December 17, 1964. By 1973, Baptist Hospital, with its 600 beds, had become the largest hospital in the Midsouth. It purchased five buildings from Saint Thomas Hospital’s vacated Church Street property in 1975. In 1986, Baptist Hospital and Saint Thomas Hospital partnered to purchase Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

In January 2002, Baptist Hospital joined Saint Thomas Health Services' regional health system and became a member of Ascension Health, a Catholic organization that is the largest not-for-profit health system in the United States.