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Concord Hospital History Print Page

Concord Hospital's legacy of providing care for the community's underserved began more than a century ago, with the formation of the Concord Hospital Association in 1884. In 1891, the association's headquarters could no longer meet the needs of the growing city and was replaced with the Margaret Pillsbury General Hospital. The 50-bed facility was built in response to the community's need for a charitable hospital that would provide care for the city's sick and poor.

George A. Pillsbury, a successful Minneapolis businessman with ties to the Granite State, provided a gift of almost $60,000 to finance the construction of what would become the state's first general hospital. Because of Pillsbury's gift, the Margaret Pillsbury General Hospital, named in honor of the Pillsburys’ 50th wedding anniversary, opened its doors to the public on Dec. 15, 1891.

Meanwhile, a group of charitably inclined women were establishing a hospital for poor women and children. Five years after the opening of the Pillsbury General Hospital, the Memorial Hospital for Women and Children was opened on South Street in Concord. Despite expansions, the hospitals grew out of their facilities. At the start of World War II, it was evident a merger would be the most efficient way to care for the community. In 1946, the two hospitals merged to become Concord Hospital; however, 10 years passed before the two facilities joined under one roof at 250 Pleasant Street — the site of today's Concord Hospital/Capital Region Health Care (CRHC) campus.

In four decades, Concord Hospital has undergone many changes in its physical appearance and organizational structure. In 1962, the Concord Hospital School of Nursing, established during the merger, moved into a new building - the Yeaple Building - adjacent to the hospital. During the late 1970s, the growth of the Concord region and the hospital's new services created the need to expand. The result was the addition of a new building that included two nursing units, Occupational Health, the Emergency Department, Physical Therapy, central sterile supply and operating rooms. In 1985, Capital Region Health Care was established and Concord Hospital became a CRHC affiliate.

Development on campus and the growth of CRHC continued in the 1980s. In 1985, the hospital opened an employee child care center and the Pillsbury Building for medical offices in 1988. The Concord Hospital School of Nursing closed in 1989, and the Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association relocated to the Yeaple Building. Today, the building is also home to the Capital Region Family Health Center.

Topping the list of expansions in the 1990s was the construction of a parking garage and HealthSouth, an independent rehabilitation facility. In 1994, the Hospice House was built on campus, the first facility of its kind in the state. In 1995, the NH-Dartmouth Family Practice Residency was established, with Capital Region Family Health Center serving as the teaching facility. In 1996, the Pillsbury Building expanded, followed by the opening of the Memorial Building for medical offices in 1997.

Concord Hospital established a joint venture with Genesis ElderCare in 1997 to build Granite Ledges of Concord, a 90-bed assisted-living facility located near HealthSouth on the Concord Hospital/Capital Region Health Care campus.

In 1998, Concord Hospital established the Center for Cardiac Care that offers life-saving cardiac procedures such as open-heart surgery (in partnership with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center), angioplasty, stent implants, surgery for aortic trauma and other heart-muscle-saving treatments. The center also provides cardiac services related to prevention, diagnostics and rehabilitation.

In 2003, the hospital completed construction of an 82,000-square-foot addition to the south side that includes the 28,000-square-foot Payson Center for Cancer Care, new main entrance and rotunda, Karner Blue Café and expanded space for cardiopulmonary, diagnostics and laboratory services, a new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) waiting area, and additional administrative and conference space. Dedicated June 1, 2003, the Payson Center features state-of-the-art radiation oncology services (in partnership with Elliot Health System and Radiation Oncology Associates), chemotherapy provided by New Hampshire Oncology-Hematology, highly skilled cancer surgeons, comprehensive support services, a resource library and boutique. The new addition is also equipped with wireless technology. In addition, the expansion included adding a third parking garage for patients and staff, facing the Payson Center entrance.

In 2004, the Concord Hospital Breast Care Center opened providing a comprehensive, streamlined approach to diagnosis and treatment of breast disease. The same year CH Medical Offices at Horseshoe Pond opened offering the Walk-In Urgent Care Center, Concord Ambulatory Surgery Center and Concord Endoscopy Center. Also inhabiting the building are several private physician practices, a pharmacy and imaging services.

2007 marked the grand opening of the East and North Wing Additions, which included a new Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), in addition to capacity for additional private rooms on the 4th, 5th and 6th floors, and four operating rooms. When the entire project is completed by the end of 2008, there will be 166,960 square feet of new space and an additional 25,335 square feet of renovated space that will also feature:

  • An 11-bed Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) adjacent to the emergency department;
  • An expanded Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) with 16 beds;
  • A larger cafeteria and kitchen space;
  • Future shelled space on the fourth and fifth floors to build additional private patient rooms as needed.

While Concord Hospital has undergone many changes, one thing has remained the same - its commitment to caring for the region's sick and underserved. Throughout its history, the hospital has stayed focused on its charitable mission, a mission that emphasizes the pledge to provide health services solely on the basis of medical necessity. Today, it continues the mission by providing a range of medical services and programs to the people of Concord and its surrounding communities.

For more information about Concord Hospital's early history reference, "A Kindly Interest: The Men and Women of Concord Hospital and Its School of Nursing," 1884-1989.