Bayside Hospital legacy carries on
Chambers County Public Hospital District No. 1 Director Annette Abernathy (left) shows a photo to Holly Mitchell, registered nurse.
Chambers County Public Hospital District No. 1 Director Eric Humphrey (left) and Chair Andy Legg laugh together while preparing for a photo in a 360 photo booth. Behind them are Directors Annette Abernathy, Linda Tinnerman and Leslie Turner.
Attendees of the Legacy Gala join in dance, celebrating 75 years of the Bayside Community Hospital.
Adrian (left) and Raquel Contreras, owners of ARC Home Center and Lumber, enjoy their steak dinners during the Legacy Gala. ARC was the legacy sponsor of the event, supporting the Bayside Healthcare Foundation.
Stacey Brown (left), director of marketing and business development for Chambers Health; Bobby Baillio, volunteer for nutritional services; and Christina Dickerson, program manager for Chambers Health, join to celebrate 75 years of the Bayside Community Hospital.
Anahuac Municipal Development District Director Kenneth “Kenny” Miller reads through the history of the Bayside Community Hospital.
Rush Creek perform during the Legacy Gala, an event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Bayside Community Hospital.
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)
WALLISVILLE— Over the weekend, local medical staff, family, friends and supporters came out to celebrate 75 years of Bayside Community Hospital, marking the special milestone with the Legacy Gala.
The Bayside Healthcare Foundation held the Legacy Gala on Saturday, Oct. 11, celebrating the 75th anniversary of Bayside Community Hospital, formerly Chambers Memorial Hospital.
"For decades, Bayside has stood as a place where neighbors care for neighbors, and where every patient is treated like family. That's the heart of who we are," said Chambers Health Director of Marketing and Business Development Stacey Brown.
Chambers County Public Hospital District No. 1 CEO Ann Newton, who has been part of the hospital for many years, noted the biggest change she's seen in hospitals in general is the technology.
Newton said the most notable changes are electronic medical records, patient portals, advancements in equipment, and in-house laboratory testing and radiology imaging.
General changes over the decades could also be seen in the large display at the gala, comparing average income, popular baby names, and more from 1950, 1975, 2000 and the present day.
There were also plenty of photographs, newspaper clippings and notable local highlights from past decades.
While many things have changed, Newton recognizes that the heart of Bayside Hospital remains the same.
"Seventy-five years ago, a group of determined community members came together with one shared goal: to make sure that health care was available close to home," Newton said. "We've never forgotten our roots. The same small-town compassion that started Bayside still guides every patient interaction, every partnership and every decision."
The hospital opened because of neighbors wanting to help neighbors, and in the 1980s, when various factors threatened the hospital, the community came together again to form the hospital district.
Since then, it has grown into a larger network but has maintained the same values.
"The doors have been open ever since. We have not closed even during hurricanes," Newton said. "We were/are here to support the community when needed."
Hospital district Chair Andy Legg commended the foundation for the gala and noted a "very special board member," Linda Tinnerman, who is known around the area for her community involvement.
The night was capped off with a steak dinner, silent auction and live music by Rush Creek.