In  1906,  a group of women,  the King's  Daughters Circle, met for the  first  time to organize  a hospital  that would  serve the medical  needs  of  the  area  --  and founded  King's  Daughters  Hospital,  the  original  Greenwood  Leflore  Hospital.

Linen showers and other benefits were held to get supplies for the five or six beds that were provided.  With the assistance of the city of Greenwood and Leflore County, they purchased the BE property, house and lot, at 807 River road (then called front Street). Soon afterwards, the converted house was serving as the city's first hospital.

In May, 1916, the  King's  Daughters Circle bought  a  1  1/2  acre  lot  for  the construction of a new hospital, again with the help of the city and county.  Additional money was raised through solicitations of individuals by the Business League after it was seen there would not be enough otherwise.  King's Daughters Hospital at 1209 River Road was dedicated April 3, 1918.  It was expanded and remodeled in 1936.

Nearby, facing Strong Avenue, the Lois Aron Memorial Nurses' Home was built in 192.  It was built with money given by Jacob and Hortense (Israel) ARON of New York, formerly of Greenwood, in memory of their daughter who died in 1920 at the age of 10 years.  Mr. and Mrs. ARON later gave several generous gifts for the upkeep and enlargement of the Nurses' Home.

In 1931, the King's Daughters Circle voted to convey the title to the city and county and the hospital's name was changed to Greenwood Leflore Hospital

As the community grew, the hospital continued to expand to meet its needs.   On April  22, 1952, patients were moved to a new 133 bed facility one block west of the site of the old building.  And that was only the beginning.

In 1959, a fifth floor was added along with an outpatient facility and expanded x-ray and laboratory area.

In 1967, the G.Y. GILLESPIE, Jr., Wing (second floor west) was opened with 17 private rooms.

Phase I, the WHITTINGTON Wing, was opened in May, 1969.   This addition to the hospital,  added 31 private rooms, an elevator, new mechanical building, new emergency generator, and a new 335 ton air conditioning unit.

Phase  II,  finished  in  1975,  was  a  construction  and  expansion program that added 72 private rooms with baths, bringing our total capacity to 230  beds  and  25  bassinets.    Areas  expanded  or  renovated  were  a  nine bed cardiac/intensive care unit,  an eight room emergency department  with  covered entrance, outpatient department,  laboratory and blood bank,  x-ray department, cardio-pulmonary  department,  class-rooms,  security  office,   dental   room, pharmacy, nurses' stations, cafeteria, physical therapy department and food and nutrition department.

Phase III, finished in 1978, expanded space for medical records, admitting and insurance, electronic  data  processing,   personnel   department   and   general administrative offices.

Phase IV, finished in 1980, expanded facilities for the laundry, general stores, building services, plant operation, central sterile supply, medical library and lounge.

The Lois Aron Memorial Nurse's Home is still in use, but not as a nurse's residence anymore.  It is called the "ARON ANNEX" and is  used as a residence for family of patients who must travel great distances to the hospital and also for classrooms for their Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) students.
 

Printed with permission of --
Greenwood Leflore Hospital
The Medical center for North Central Mississippi
1410 River Road
Greenwood, MS 38930
(601) 459-9751
written permission on file with
Betty Aron Schneider, County Coordinator
Leflore County, MSGenWeb