Baptist Health Celebrates 50^th Anniversary

Jacksonville, Fl., August 26, 2005 - On September 13, 1955, Baptist Memorial Hospital opened its doors to begin serving the people of the First Coast. Fifty years later, Baptist Health continues its mission of providing quality and comprehensive health care that the community can depend on for life.

From its origins as a 125-bed hospital built on the Southbank of Downtown Jacksonville-- on land once used as an alligator and ostrich farm-- Baptist Health has grown to include five hospitals, a network of 22 primary care offices and home health care and behavioral health services.

Baptist will team up with the Jacksonville Jaguars during the October 2 game against the Denver Broncos to offer the first 25,000 fans through the gates a commemorative Game Day coin. The solid bronze coins feature the Baptist Health 50th anniversary logo on one side and the Jaguars' logo on the reverse. Each coin is numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Five of these numbers will be called at a special time during the game, and fans holding these numbers will receive a 24-karat solid gold coin.

The original Baptist Medical Center Downtown now includes Wolfson Children's Hospital and the newly opened Heart Hospital, which combines a complete offering of cardiology services in one facility. Baptist Medical Center Beaches serves residents of Jacksonville, Atlantic, Neptune, Ponte Vedra and the West beaches, while Baptist Medical Center Nassau serves Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach. Opened in February of 2005, Baptist Medical Center South provides care to the thriving community of southern Duval and northern St. Johns Counties.

"It is with great pride that we celebrate 50 years of serving this community," said A. Hugh Greene, president and Chief Executive Officer of Baptist Health. "We are proud to be the organization to count on to provide integrated and innovative health care, in every stage of life."

Throughout its half-century of healing, Baptist Health has become a leader in health care, and the first to provide many innovations to the region. In 1968, Baptist opened the first heart catherization laboratory in the city. In 2003, Baptist opened the doors to the region's first Gamma Knife Institute. And this year, Baptist South became the first new hospital of the century to open in Jacksonville.

1961	Downtown campus Mid-1970's	1961