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In 1901, James Ross, a civil engineer from Montreal and a former resident of Lindsay, purchased the present land, and made a commitment to finance the building of Lindsay's first hospital.
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On November 20, 1902, Ross Memorial Hospital officially opened its doors. In memory of his parents, John and Mary Ross, James Ross founded and built Ross Memorial Hospital. At its opening, the Hospital was fully equipped, the total bed capacity was 23 and the entire nursing staff consisted of a lady superintendent, a head nurse and four nurses in training.
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In November 1902, Mr. J.D. Flavelle was named the first chairman of the Board of Governors for Ross Memorial Hospital.
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In 1902, the Hospital served 150 patients. The average length of stay was 23 days and the average daily cost per patient was $1.46. Daily room rates were $2 for private, $1 for semi-private and $.40 for public.
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On March 30, 1903, at a meeting held with the Town Council, the last Sunday in May was appointed as "Hospital Day." Every working man was expected to contribute part of his earnings to the Hospital through the church or otherwise.
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On May 22, 1903, Ross Memorial Hospital was incorporated under the Laws of the Province of Ontario.
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In September 1903, Ross Memorial Hospital served 148 patients - 81 males and 67 females. Of these, five males and eight females remained at the Hospital as of September 30th, 1903.
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The first annual meeting of the Hospital's Board of Governors was held on November 5, 1903, in the library of Collegiate Institute. Forty people were present for the meeting.
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In the early 1900s, pupil nurses, or nurses-in-training, were paid $4 a month in their first year. This increased to $6 a month in their third and final year. Once a year, each one would receive two dresses with caps and aprons. Nurses worked 12-hour shifts every day except Sunday.
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In 1905, Ross Memorial's ambulance service and an operating room were in full use.
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In 1907, a Nurses Library was opened as a result of a 1904 donation from the Young Ladies' Association.
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In the first eight years, a total of 1,731 patients were treated at Ross Memorial.
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On January 12, 1911, due to the need for accommodation for the nursing staff, Mr. James Ross once again donated and opened the Annie Ross Nurses' Home, which was named in honour of his wife. This resulted in an increase in bed capacity from 23 to 30 as the beds being used for nurses could now be used for patients.
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In 1911, there were 89 cases of typhoid fever; two deaths resulted.
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In 1912, 10 years after the opening of Ross Memorial, there were 442 patient admissions and the average daily cost per patient was $1.50. Daily room rates were $2.50 and $1.75 for private, $1.25 for semi-private and $.70 for public.
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In 1912, 14 babies were born and 'Hospital Day' was suspended due to the diminishing number of participating parishes.
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On September 20, 1913, James Ross passed away. He left a legacy in his will of $25,000 to Ross Memorial Hospital.
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In 1913, J.K.L. Ross succeeded his father as Governor and Trustee of the corporation.
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1914 was the first year that a student spent the summer learning at the Hospital as a House Physician. This opened doors for other summer learning opportunities at the Ross.
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Mrs. Annie Ross passed away on February 22, 1915.
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In the 13th year of the Hospital's history (1915), 195 surgical operations were performed. This was the largest number of surgical operations performed at Ross Memorial to date.
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There were 58 soldiers treated at Ross Memorial in 1915.
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In 1916, an elevator was installed in the Hospital.
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In 1917, John K. L. Ross, son of James and Annie Ross, donated x-ray equipment in the amount of $2,550.
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In 1921, there were 543 admissions and 50 births.
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On November 27, 1924, Ross Memorial Hospital received a visit from His Excellency, the Governor-General, the Right Honourable Lord Byng of Vimy and Lady Byng.
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On July 4, 1925, Mr. J.D. Flavelle (first Chairman of the Board) passed away.
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In 1928, a separate building for a laundry and heating plant was erected. The total cost was more than $45,000.
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In 1929, a doctor was appointed to confer with the board. Dr. Gleeson, President of the Medical Association for the County, was chosen.
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The construction of the new maternity wing began in 1930. In 1931, the Victoria Wing of the Hospital was completed and in operation. The wing was built at a cost of $80,000. The opening ceremony was held on August 19, 1931.
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The first baby born in the new maternity wing arrived on September 2, 1931.
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The Victoria Wing also met the need for more accommodation and increased the total rated capacity to 60 beds.
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With the increased accommodation available, Ross Memorial was able to open a mental health clinic under the direction of Dr. R.S. Montgomery of the Ontario Hospital in Whitby.
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In 1936, several clinics were held including a travelling chest clinic, an orthopaedic clinic conducted by the Rotary Club and mental health clinics hosted by doctors of the Ontario Hospital, Whitby.
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In 1937, it was established that nurses in their third year of training would receive specialized training for three months at both the Toronto General Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children.
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In 1944, penicillin was introduced at Ross Memorial.
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In 1948, there were 2,345 admissions and 23 births. Since September 2, 1931, there were 2,489 babies born at the Hospital.
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In 1949, the average cost of maintaining a patient per day was $5.13. The average cost across the province was $6.83.
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Statistics from 1956:
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90% of babies were born in Hospital (prior to 1902, only 1% of babies were born in hospital)
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One in every six persons was admitted to the Hospital each year (prior to 1902, one in every 85 received hospital treatment)
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On many occasions, Hospital occupancy was at 120% of capacity
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On December 10, 1960, a further addition officially opened at a total cost of $1,825,000. This brought the Hospital's capacity up to 139 beds.
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In 1965, Ross Memorial had 40 doctors and 336 employees on staff.
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In 1975, an $8.8 million expansion was completed. This replaced the 1902 and 1931 buildings.
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In 1997, a $4.5 million self-funded redevelopment of Ross Memorial Hospital was completed. This included major reconstruction of the maternal/newborn unit, a new paediatrics unit, and renovations to the intensive care unit. As well, upgrades to isolation rooms and the acute care nursing stations were completed.
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In June 1998, the Health Services Restructuring Commission (HSRC) directed that Ross Memorial expand its facilities and enhance its services.
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The $49 million HSRC-directed project will include:
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The doubling in size of the Emergency Department;
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A new inpatient Mental Health program and facilities;
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A new Complex Continuing Care wing that will also accommodate Rehabilitation and Palliative Care;
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A new outpatient centre;
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Additional inpatient beds;
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A new suite for the Hospital's CT Scanner.
- On September 29, 2000, Ross Memorial Hospital officially launched its expansion project with a sod-turning ceremony.
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In December 2000, the first phase of site development - the construction of the western end of the new parking lot - was completed.
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On February 13, 2001, the Hospital's CT Scanner arrived. Six days later, on February 19, it was operational. Currently, the scanner is located in the basement of the Hospital; it will be relocated to the new facility upon completion.
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Currently, the CT suite is seeing approximately 20-22 patients per day.
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On April 20, 2001, Ross Memorial Hospital celebrated the official opening of its CT suite.
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On June 6, 2001, the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation launched its major capital campaign, Caring for Tomorrow. The goal of the campaign was to raise $6 million in local funding. At the launch, it was announced that pledges and gifts already totaled $4.2 million.
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On August 21, 2001, the City of Kawartha Lakes Council announced that it approved $7 million in funding for Ross Memorial's expansion project.
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In four short months, after the public launch of the Caring for Tomorrow campaign, on October 4, 2001, the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation officially announced that the campaign had raised more than $5.5 million.
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On December 6, 2001, Ross Memorial Hospital received approval from the Ministry of Health to tender the construction for its major capital expansion project.
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On December 13, 2001, the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation announced that the Caring for Tomorrow campaign exceeded all expectations, officially closing at $6.461 million.
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In March 2002, the Ministry of Health approved Ross Memorial Hospital's recommendation to award the construction contract to R.E. Hein Construction of Kanata, Ontario.
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On April 18, 2002 Ross Memorial Hospital hosted a special event that officially kicked-off its construction project.
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As of April 2002, the Hospital Foundation's Caring for Tomorrow campaign had raised more than $7 million.
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On June 6, Chris Hodgson, M.P.P., Victoria-Haliburton-Brock officially announced the Ontario Government's funding commitment in the amount of $29,502,436 for Ross Memorial's expansion project.
- In June 2002, Ross Memorial Hospital received a Certificate of Distinguished Service from The Eye Bank of Canada for its outstanding dedication and commitment to the eye donor program for the year 2001.
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In August 2002, Ross Memorial Hospital announced the launch of its Infant Hearing Program. With consent from parents, babies born at the Ross now have the opportunity to participate in a quick, easy, non-invasive hearing test, which will help to identify infants who may be born deaf or hard of hearing or who are at risk of developing hearing loss in early childhood.
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Ross Memorial, in partnership with George Brown College, launched an RPN to RN Bridging Program in September 2002, which provides an opportunity for Registered Practical Nurses to acquire the qualifications of Registered Nurse.
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On November 20, 2002, Ross Memorial Hospital celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Hospital celebrated its centennial in style by hosting a re-enactment of the official opening ceremony held exactly 100 years earlier. Afterwards, there were speeches, presentations, historical displays and refreshments at Lindsay Collegiate Institute (which is where celebrations were held in 1902 following the opening ceremony).
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In November 2002, Ross Memorial proudly announced that it had received a full Accreditation status from the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA). Accreditation is voluntary and is a detailed assessment of an organization’s services and method of operation against a set of national standards.
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On March 28, 2003, Ross Memorial Hospital, along with hospitals across the province, implemented a number of precautions in the fight against SARS. As of July 2003, there have been no SARS cases-suspect or probable-at Ross Memorial Hospital.
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On April 14, 2005, Ross Memorial Hospital celebrated the official opening of the newly renovated and expanded hospital, beginning the "Next Chapter of Care" in the hospital's rich history.
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On April 27, 2006, Ross Memorial Hospital received Ministry of Health and Long Term Care approval to plan for the operation of a 15 station Satellite Dialysis Unit, as part of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre's Regional Dialysis Program. The Hospital looks forward to completing the planning process and commencing the construction required to make this a reality. It is estimated that the new unit will accept its first patients in 2008.
