Bayside to celebrate 75th
Pictured in the 1970s, a Life Flight helicopter lands outside Chambers Memorial Hospital, which later became known as Bayside Community Hospital.
Dr. George Harley Fahring, Sr. (1881 to 1969)
Dr. Thomas Lloyd Fahring, Sr. (1915 to 1978)
ANAHUAC—First established in 1950, Bayside Community Hospital will celebrate its rich history of service to the community, honoring those who made it all possible.
Over the next few months, several events are planned as Bayside Hospital celebrates its lasting impact, which has spanned 75 years.
On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the hospital will have the Legacy Reunion; on Saturday, Oct. 4, there will be the Family Fun Fair; and on Oct. 11, the hospital will have the Legacy Gala.
“Our legacy is not just in the bricks and mortar,” Chambers Health CEO Ann Newton said. “It’s in the lives we’ve touched. The emergencies we’ve responded to. The hopes we’ve helped restore.”
With an overall theme of “Rooted in Community, Growing in Care,” the events center around the community and the people who helped keep the hospital alive for decades.
The Legacy Reunion will honor past and present staff, board members, stakeholders, and all those who have helped shape the hospital district.
The Fun Fair will feature a variety of family-friendly activities, including games, free hot dogs, health screenings and flu shots, giveaways and live music.
“We really wanted it to be family-centered because our community is what established the community hospital in 1950. We really wanted to go back to those roots,” said Chambers Health Marketing and Media Specialist Brooklynn Clay.
Local law enforcement, firefighters, EMS and a Life Flight helicopter will be in attendance.
There will also be a 5K run at 8 a.m. on the levee at Fort Anahuac Park, 1704 S. Main St., Anahuac.
The Legacy Gala will feature a steak dinner, silent auction and a live performance by Rush Creek.
Tickets are $50 and will include dinner and two drink tickets. All proceeds and donations will benefit the Bayside Healthcare Foundation.
The hospital is considered a critical access hospital, according to Texas Health and Human Services.
Clay provided a bit of history on the local hospital, which opened on Oct. 15, 1950, with 36 beds as Chambers Memorial Hospital.
In the early 1980s, the hospital faced closure due to financial issues. In 1985, voters approved the creation of the Chambers County Public Hospital District No. 1. In 1986, the hospital was renamed Bayside Community Hospital.
In 1996, the hospital district opened Bayside Clinic, and in 2013, the clinic added a dental suite.
Now, in addition to Anahuac, the district serves Mont Belvieu and Dayton.
“For those who have walked its halls, Bayside is more than a building; it is a memory, a moment, a miracle,” Clay said in a statement.
The Legacy Reunion will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Wellness Center at Bayside, 2202 S. Main St., Anahuac. The Family Fun Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the hospital, 200 Hospital Dr., Anahuac. The Legacy Gala will be at 5 p.m. at Whites Park Community Building, 222 White Memorial Park Road, Wallisville.
For more information, to become a sponsor for any event, to donate silent auction items, or to be a vendor for the Fun Fair, email Stacey Brown at sbrown@chambershealth.org or call 409-267-3143 ext. 2296.