History

1895: Founded by Dr. D.E. Shields, Dr. P.L. Henderson, Dr. E.J. Bettis and Dr. E.B. Hale, Morristown’s first hospital is a three-story building off North Cumberland Street equipped with eight beds and an operating room.

1918: physicians build the 40-bed Morristown-Hamblen Hospital at the corners of West Third North, West Fourth North and High Streets.

1955: Morristown-Hamblen Hospital is constructed for $1 million amid the celebration of Morristown’s centennial. The new 46,096 square foot facility includes 70 beds, four floors and 92 employees. The new hospital becomes fully accredited after its first full year of operation and has maintained accreditation ever since.

1960: When the community outgrows the 70-bed facility, James E. Burke gives $100,000 toward a $2 million, 50-bed expansion. The James E. Burke Wing is named in his honor of his generous gift to the hospital and our community.

1975: a $2.5 million, 50-bed north wing is built and named for and former mayor J.G. Wallace.

1985: as the hospital nears its 100th anniversary of service and 30th anniversary in its existing building, Morristown-Hamblen Hospital has 167 beds, 350 employees and offered specialized services as computed tomography (CT) scanning and laser eye surgery.

1995: the name “Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System” (MHHS) is born when the hospital expands to include Morristown-Hamblen Home Care and Morristown-Hamblen Health Services.

1998: construction is completed on the hospital’s new senior behavioral unit that provides inpatient psychiatric care, occupational therapy and recreation activities for older patients.

1999: the hospital purchases the Boulevard West Professional Complex and Diagnostic Center on West Morris Boulevard and renames the facility the MHHS Health Complex.

2000: MHHS expands surgery services by adding a 25,300 square foot Surgical Services Center. The new center includes a 19-bed prep and hold area, a cystoscopy room, a two-room endoscopy suite and 12-bed recovery area.

2001: the hospital expands its intensive care capabilities by renovating more than 8,500 square feet on the third floor to create spacious rooms for 12 patients that offer cardiac monitoring system with 12-lead electrocardiograms (EKGs) to measure heart function.

2003: the Sleep Disorder Center is expanded, with state-of-the-art diagnostic testing equipment and doubling the number of diagnostic testing room.

2004: MHHS opens Morristown Regional Cancer Center on the first floor of the new Northeast Tower. Created in partnership with Baptist Regional Cancer Center, the new center provides radiation therapy with state-of-the-art equipment that focuses radiation directly on the tumor, producing results with fewer side effects. Morristown Regional Cancer Center also features a new chemotherapy center.

2005: cardiac, vascular and pulmonary services are consolidated under the newly created Heart, Lung & Vascular Center, located in the new, state-of-the-art Northeast Tower.

2005: a dedicated Women’s Center is created and features a security entrance, private rooms and a quiet, comfortable environment in which to heal.

2006: the Morristown Regional Cancer Center adds PET/CT technology, one of the most advanced scanners available to detect cancer in its earliest stages.

2007: MHHS completes construction of the new Surgery-Endoscopy Center of Morristown, a 12,000 square foot, multi-specialty outpatient surgery center with four dedicated operating suites. The new facility adjacent to the hospital provides patients direct access to surgery services without having to enter the hospital.

2007: the imaging department launches Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS), optimizing radiology operations by going to a completely digital imaging environment. Also added is new X-ray equipment and computers.

2008: Prompt Family Care opens. The clinic is staffed with Nurse Practitioner and full-time translator to ensure optimum care for Spanish speaking families in our community.

2009: the outpatient imaging center is renamed Morristown Regional Diagnostic Center and adds digital mammography.

2010: Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System joins Covenant Health, the region’s top performing healthcare network. As a Covenant Health member hospital, the hospital is supported by system healthcare resources that reinforce the mission of patients staying close to home for quality medical care.  Patients also have access to higher levels of care for stroke and cardiac conditions when necessary.

2010: MHHS is named by Consumer Reports Magazine as one of the top performing hospitals in the state or prevention of central line infections.

2010: the hospital adds a state-of-the-art 64 slice CT scanner that enables up to a 40% lower radiation dose while maintaining high quality images throughout the body.

2014: Hamblen Urology Clinic, the urology practice of Philip Serbin, MD, opens. Later in 2019, Kelly Bewsey, MD, PhD, joins Hamblen Urology Clinic

2014: Hamblen Primary Care, the office of James Schindler, MD, opens

2014: Surgical Associates of East Tennessee joins MHHS

2015: the hospital debuts Jingle Run for Hope, an annual 5k walk/run that raises money for the hospital’s Patient Assistance Fund. Proceeds benefit cancer patients who need financial support for basic necessities while fighting cancer.

2018: the hospital celebrates its 120 year anniversary of providing care to the community and debuts its new Covenant Health-branded logo signage promoting its membership with Covenant Health.

2018: MHHS is certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, which means the hospital has the staff, training, and capability to provide immediate stroke care. As a member of the region’s only stroke hospital network, MHHS has a direct connection with sister facility Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center for patients who need interventional stroke care.

2018: Women’s Healthcare of Morristown, the OB/GYN practice of Kim C. Brooks, MD, FACOG and Stacey Kesterson, MSN, WHNP, opens. Later in 2018, Bill Black, MD, FACOG, joins the group.

2023: Morristown-Hamblen West is added to the community and offers a second emergency room, new imaging center, the ONLY Breast Imaging Center of Excellence between Johnson City and Knoxville, and Hamblen Primary Care