History >>

1891

Nashua Emergency Hospital is established in a basement room of the Nashua Police Department on Court Street.

1893

Nashua Emergency Hospital moves to Collins House on Spring Street, and becomes an eight bed, 24-hour facility. Annual rent for the house is $360.

1898

The hospital purchases Hall House at 8 Prospect Street and opens to the public as a 25-bed, fully staffed and equipped hospital - Nashua's first.

1899

The School of Nursing welcomes its first class. The last class will graduate 62 years later.

1913-1915

A substantial bequest from local physician George Wilbur, MD and contributions from the community help fund the construction of the Central (or East) Building at 8 Prospect Street. The name changes to Nashua Memorial Hospital (NMH).

1920

The Memorial Hospital Auxiliary incorporates on March 2nd.

1925

A new building at 10 Prospect Street houses the Memorial Nursing School and the East Building is expanded.

1952

The Nutt Surgical Wing is completed and dedicated to benefactor and philanthropist Charles H. Nutt (1817 - 1892).

1958

NMH opens the School of Radiology. In 1981, it will graduate its final class.

1961

Construction of the North Building (originally called West) begins. The building is completed in 1963, increasing bed capacity to 129.

1966

The former School of Nursing at 10 Prospect Street undergoes renovation to become the Medical Arts Building.

Nashua's first Intensive Care Unit opens at NMH.

1970

NMH affiliates with New Hampshire's first HMO, Matthew Thornton Health Plan.

1973

Nashua's first hip replacement surgery is performed at NMH.

1974

The five-story West Building is completed, bringing total beds to 191.

1975

NMH opens the only Dialysis Center in southern New Hampshire.

1977

NMH is one of the first hospitals in the state to begin offering same-day surgery.

1980

A dedicated Short Stay Unit opens.

The Rideout Radiology Unit is dedicated.

1981

NMH opens Occupational Health Services. The Marion Fairfield Family-centered Maternity Unit is dedicated.

1984

An expanded Same-day Surgical Unit opens.

1987

The deNicola Center for Women's Health opens, named for Nashua physician, Paul deNicola, MD.

The Birth Place opens to offer the area's first single-room maternity care.

1989

A five-level parking garage opens across from 8 Prospect Street.

1990

NMH opens the area's first Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

1991

Nashua's only Newborn Intensive Care Unit opens.

The first laparoscopic gallbladder surgery in Nashua is performed at NMH.

NMH opens HEALTHMATCH, Nashua's first computer-assisted physician referral service.

1992

NMH celebrates 100 years of service to the community.

55PLUS enrolls its first members.

The Nashua Regional Cancer Center, the first free standing radiation therapy site in New Hampshire, opens.

Foundation Medical Partners is established.

1993

A new, state-of-the-art Intensive/Cardiac Care Unit opens.

Through the generosity of the Dana L. Clark Family Trust, NMH is the beneficiary of a $1 million charitable gift. A new, expanded Dialysis Center opens. A $25 million renovation and building project begins with the construction of a new power plant. The 1915 East Building is demolished to make way for a new wing.

1994

Nashua Memorial Hospital becomes Southern New Hampshire Regional Medical Center. The Medical Center and Community Council collaborate to create ACCESS, a 24-hour crisis intervention hotline. The Chest Pain Center opens. An intravascular stent procedure is performed for the first time in Nashua.

1995

The Medical Center unveils a region-wide health status improvement project, Partnerships for Healthier Communities. The Medical Center teams up with Nashua High School through the Adopt-a-School program. A new Medical Laboratory is dedicated. The new, 5-story East Building opens in June.

1996

Southern New Hampshire Regional Medical Center integrates with Lahey Hitchcock Clinic. Partnerships for Healthier Communities implements an anti-tobacco education program in area grade schools. The Medical Center is awarded an academic affiliation with Dartmouth Medical School, and becomes a site for its obstetrical residency program.

1997

Lahey Hitchcock Clinic reverts to two separate organizations, Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Lahey Clinic, and The Medical Center returns to independent status. The area's first Travel Clinic opens at The Medical Center. The roof of the parking garage is readied for helicopter landings. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is relocated and enlarged. Anesthesia services are enhanced to include perioperative medicine and pain management.

1998

55PLUS enrolls its 5,500th member. The Birth Place is completely renovated and modernized. The Medical Center receives "full accreditation with commendation" from the JCAHO, and becomes the first hospital in New Hampshire to receive designation as a Level II Trauma Center. The original Medical Center Web site goes live. The Medical Center simplifies its name to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. Memorial Medical Associates is founded.

1999

Southern New Hampshire Rehabilitation Center opens at 460 Amherst Street. The first Urgent Care Department in the city opens. The $6 million Health and Education Center opens. The Community Medical School holds its first semester of classes.

2000

Nashua Area Health Center, formerly the Neighborhood Health Center for Greater Nashua, becomes part of Lamprey Health Care, New Hampshire's oldest and largest community health center. Nashua's only community health center is located on The Medical Center's campus and receives our substantial support. Spanish and Portuguese are spoken here, reflecting the needs of Nashua's increasing diversity.

2001

SNHMC purchases former Charter Brookside Hospital. The new "West Campus" on Northwest Boulevard will ease downtown congestion and allow expansion at both locations. Responding to a nationwide nursing shortage, The Medical Center becomes a clinical teaching site for schools like Rivier College, New Hampshire Community Technical College Nashua, and area high schools.

2002

February: SNHMC announces new regional kidney center.

March: Southern NH Rehabilitation Center opens Hudson Clinic, joins centers in Nashua, Milford and Merrimack. August: The Obesity Center of Southern New Hampshire opens, bringing together a team of professionals to provide a comprehensive approach for each patient.

September: The new deNicola Breast Health Center opens, including all breast health services under one roof and dedicated to patient comfort and privacy with the latest in diagnostic technology.

2003

May: NH Community Technical College holds first pinning ceremony for graduates of the SNHMC-NHCTC nursing partnership.

July: SNHMC Prescription Assistance program begins.

August: SNHMC adds PET scanning to diagnostic imaging services.

2004

April: The Family Center at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center opens, including a new Pediatrics unit.

July: Groundbreaking for expanded ER and cardiac care project.

September: Dr. Christopher Pyne performs the first angioplasty in Nashua.

2005

January: Nashua Center for Healthy Aging opens at 280 Main Street. SNHMC receives the first Go Red For Women Community Service Award from the American Heart Association in recognition of its efforts to raise awareness and provide education to the public about the dangers of heart disease.

February: Southern New Hampshire Rehabilitation Center South opens February 7. Nashua Center for Healthy Aging Rehabilitation Center begins accepting patients for physical therapy.

March: Personal Heart Risk Assessment, a program designed to help understand one’s risk of developing heart disease over the next ten years, becomes available online on The Medical Center’s website. Dr. Tung Nguyen performs first endoscopic craniotomy in Nashua.

June: Spring Street extension between Main Street and West Hollis Street is renamed Medical Center Drive on June 14.

August: Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center opens at the West Campus. It is the only Joslin center in New Hampshire.

November: First phase of Soarian goes live Nov. 5. Soarian enhances patient safety and helps the hospital to move towards complete electronic medical records. Wireless nodes are installed throughout The Medical Center. Drop-in laboratory and x-ray services open at the West Campus. New Emergency Department and Cardiology Center open for business.

December: NHQualityCare.org debuts. The website provides comparative data on patient treatment in 26 hospitals across New Hampshire. The information is voluntarily reported.

2006

February: Lahey Plastic Surgery opens at The Medical Center.

May: The Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) goes live in radiology on May 14. The system allows immediate access for radiologists and providers to diagnostic images and results.

December: SNHMC earns recognition as a Magnet-designated hospital.

2007

March: SNHMC's main campus becomes a wireless environment.