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HISTORY
Knoxville's first hospital opened in 1935 and
was owned and operated by Dr. R.V. Mater. Dr. Mater located his medical
practice in a large house on the corner of 7th and Montgomery Street. He used
the building to provide the community with a doctor's office and a small
hospital. Dr. Mater began his medical practice in the town of Buxton, Iowa. He
later moved to Melcher, Iowa where he opened up a medical office and a small
hospital. In 1935 he again relocated to Knoxville, Iowa where he opened
Knoxville's first hospital.
Five years later in 1940, Collins Memorial
Hospital opened. Collins Memorial Hospital was a 27-bed facility. Mrs. Laffe
Collins and her son, Jay Collins, donated the money for the hospital ground and
the building. The funds were donated as a memorial to Laffe Collins (a
prominent businessman in the community) and to the wife of Jay Collins. The
hospital leased to the Mater Clinic Corporation; to be operated as a privately
held hospital, open to all doctors and patients. Collins Memorial Hospital
officially opened for business on March 10, 1940.
It was originally
intended that the hospital would be leased to the Mater Clinic Group for 25
years, then given to the city of Knoxville to be operated as a municipal
facility. However, 25 years later in 1963, the city decided that they were not
interested in operating a municipal hospital. The Mater Clinic Group purchased
the hospital. Following the purchase, a building project began and a new wing
to the hospital was opened in July of 1966. The new wing increased the bed size
of the hospital to 50 beds.
In the later 1970s, planning began for a
new community hospital. A foundation was formed and fund raising began to build
and equip the new facility. Fund raising began in 1979 and a new facility was
completed and ready for business in 1981.
Knoxville Area Community
Hospital opened its doors for service in February of 1981. Prior to the
completion of the new hospital, Collins Memorial was deeded over to the new
not-for-profit corporation. The not-for-profit corporation would operate
Collins Memorial until its closing and subsequently operate Knoxville Area
Community Hospital.
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