SEARCY — In January 1967, White County Memorial Hospital opened its doors to the Searcy community. After decades of changes and additions, the hospital, now Unity Health, has become a health system with an eight-county reach.
Unity Health will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an open house from 2-4 p.m. Jan. 8 in the cafeteria at Unity Health, 3214 E. Race Ave. The event is free and open to the public.
“Through the past 50 years, the hospital has undergone multiple large additions, renovations and upgrades in order to be what it is today,” said Brooke Pryor, director of marketing. “It doesn’t even look like the same business, but it is. Especially in the last few years, the growth has been so evident.”
During the open house, Unity Health will unveil a historical surprise and hold giveaways.
“Fifty years ago, they opened the facility with a large open house. We’re going to recreate that to a certain extent,” Pryor said. “We’re going to have a historical reveal, and we’re going to have giveaways for the whole community to help us celebrate 50 years and what the future is going to hold for us.”
Pryor noted that over time, the health system has expanded into numerous counties in different ways, such as by having a school-based clinic in Bradford, the first school-based clinic Unity has had.
“It’s a medical clinic on the school campus,” Pryor said. “The kids are more likely to get to the doctor when it’s right there on campus.”
Faith has also been an important factor in Unity Health, Pryor said.
“Every morning at 9 a.m., at all our campuses — Newport, our two campuses at Searcy — everything stops, and we have a prayer said on the overhead speakers,” she said. “That’s the first introduction a lot of people have to where our hearts are in the hospital. We have got some very faithful leaders. … It’s important in our culture and very openly talked about in our culture.”
Stuart Hill, vice president-treasurer at Unity Health, said health care relates to the ministry of Jesus.
“I’ve found it to be a rewarding career to be in health care because it’s like a ministry,” said Stuart, who has been at Unity for 28 years. “If you look at Christ’s ministry, most of his followers followed him because of what he was doing. He was healing the sick and the blind and the deaf.”
Pryor, who has been in her role at Unity for six years, said the culture makes the health system thrive.
“The culture is absolutely like none other that I’ve ever been involved with,” she said. “The leadership team — everything trickles down from there. And their leadership style, their insight to coming things in the future, their wisdom and their faith-based decision-making process are [admirable].”
Also, on Jan. 19, St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny will present a speech to help the health system celebrate its 50th anniversary. The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. at the Searcy High School Performing Arts Center, 301 N. Ella.
“The theme is The Power of Teamwork, which plays in perfectly to how we see the past 50 years,” Pryor said. “It takes everyone. It doesn’t take a few people; it doesn’t take a few decision makers. It takes everyone. So he’s going to speak on the power of teamwork.”
Pryor said Matheny is a great choice because of the Cardinals’ fan base in Arkansas.
“The St. Louis Cardinals tend to be our baseball team; the St. Louis Cardinals are kind of where we all tend to gravitate,” Pryor said. “They’re important to us, and a lot of us are fans. When we heard Mike Matheny is a motivational speaker, and a faith-based motivational speaker, it just seemed like a neat fit.”
Tickets to Mike Matheny’s The Power of Teamwork presentation can be purchased at unity-health.org/mike-matheny-power-teamwork, at the door the day of the event or by calling (501)-278-3230. General admission is $25, and preferred seating is $100.
In the next 50 years, health care may see more outpatient services, Hill said.
“I think the face of health care is going to change,” he said. “We may not see as much inpatient services, where people are staying several days in the hospital, but I think we’ll see a tremendous need for outpatient services. Who knows? We may be doing heart surgery one day, and the patient is up and running around.”
Pryor praised Unity Health CEO Ray Montgomery, the board of directors and the more than 2,000 employees for keeping the health system going strong.
“It takes every one of us to make Unity Health what it is,” she said.
Hill said he hopes those who attend the 50th-anniversary events learn about the importance of health care in a community.
“[I hope they learn] how important having a quality health care system is, how important it is to the vibrancy, the prosperity of a community, and I just hope they learn about the history [and about] those who were significant contributors to the start of this organization and those who have contributed over the years to help it become the health system it is today,” he said.
Pryor said a health system changes the dynamic of a community for the better.
“I sincerely hope that anyone who attends one or both of these events walks away understanding that we have a really amazing past but an even more exciting future,” she said.
Staff writer Syd Hayman can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or shayman@arkansasonline.com.