Hot Springs native in retirement from Levi Hospital after 45 years

Florice “Flo” Hamilton retired in November after 45 years at Levi Hospital in Hot Springs. She worked in the 
accounting department.
Florice “Flo” Hamilton retired in November after 45 years at Levi Hospital in Hot Springs. She worked in the accounting department.

HOT SPRINGS — When Florice “Flo” Hamilton started working at Levi Hospital, all of the female employees wore dresses. She was 21 at the time.

“I was one of the first ones to wear slacks in the hospital,” she said, smiling. “Everybody just stared at me. I know I raised a couple of eyebrows.”

Hamilton, now 66, retired from Levi Hospital on Nov. 1, 2014, which was the hospital’s 100th birthday. She worked in the accounting department for 45 years.

“I was hired to operate the Burroughs posting machine,” she said. “My job was to keep up with patient billing and to print the payroll checks.”

As the computer era began to unfold, Hamilton took several classes to learn how to operate the new equipment.

“As we bought new computers, they would send me to computer classes,” she said.

Hamilton said she retired because she was 66.

“Plus, they were getting ready to get a new computer system, and I thought I did not need to go through that again at 66. I thought, ‘It’s time for me to go.’”

Hamilton said that over the years, she worked for six administrators at the hospital, the last being Patrick G. McCabe Jr., who is the current president and CEO of Levi Hospital, which is at 300 Prospect Ave. in Hot Springs.

Jackie Arrison, vice president for development for the Levi Endowment Foundation, said the local chapter of B’nai B’rith International, a Jewish service organization, sponsors Levi Hospital. She said the hospital has changed since it opened in 1914. It now specializes in three main areas of care — outpatient rehabilitation therapy, inpatient psychiatric care and outpatient transitional counseling services. The hospital also houses an arthritis-treatment clinic and some other ancillary services, such as X-rays and laboratory services.

Hamilton said she recalls seeing patients, including some family members, come in “on stretchers and in wheelchairs” and walk out of the hospital on their own.

A native of Hot Springs, Hamilton is the daughter of the late Woodrow and Gina Hassin. Hamilton graduated from Hot Springs High School in 1966. She attended Henderson State University and National Park Community College, but she found herself entering the workforce before she could earn a college degree.

“I always liked arithmetic,” she said. “I went where my calling took me.”

Hamilton has three sisters — Anna Laribe, who is a retired school teacher; Teresa Rowe, who is a school teacher; and Alberta Gibbs, who is a registered nurse. All live in Hot Springs.

Hamilton and her husband, Paul, have been married for 20 years. She said they met on a blind date.

Both enjoy hunting and riding motorcycles — she rides behind Paul on a Harley-Davidson trike.

“We have a big time,” she said. “We might go for one day, or sometimes we might carry [an overnight] bag.

“Paul has three Harleys (only one is a trike). He is an avid bike rider.”

Hamilton also raises chickens for a hobby.

“I get fresh eggs every day,” she said. “I have a small house with usually about 10 hens. I enjoy gathering the eggs and watching [the hens’] habits.”

Hamilton said she received a 45-year pin when she retired. The hospital also honored her with a party; her family had another party for her later.

She left the hospital with a maxed-out amount of accrued sick time — 784 hours.

“I never used it,” she said. “I left with about six months’ [sick time] on the table. It was a good thing. I was never sick.

“I enjoyed my work at the hospital. When I came to work in the accounting department, I was the only employee. There are now four employees.”

Hamilton said she and her husband hope to travel now that she is retired.

“We’ve got some trip plans,” she said, adding that those plans include some in the not-to-distance future. They hope to go to Alaska in May.

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