History
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Myrtue Medical Center has been providing healthcare services to Shelby County for 70 years! We are grateful for the trust our patients have placed in us, and we are honored to have been a part of so many people's lives over the last seven decades.
Throughout these 70 years, our hospital has evolved and grown to meet the changing needs of our patients. We have expanded our services, upgraded our facilities, and incorporated the latest medical technologies. Our dedicated staff of doctors, nurses, and support staff have worked tirelessly to provide the highest quality care to our patients.
As we celebrate this milestone, we want to thank our patients, staff, and community for their unwavering support. We look forward to many more years of serving our community and providing exceptional medical care to those in need. Here's to another 70 years!
MMC History
Read a newspaper article from February 2012 on the Early Harlan Hospitals + Doctors Offices here.
Chris Myrtue left his entire estate to finance a hospital to serve Shelby
County after his death in January 1945. His farms were sold, and the funds
were invested in government bonds, totaling $200,000. After local voters
approved a bond issue and taxes, a 50-bed hospital was built with a total
of $900,000 in funds. The whirlwind "Operation Hospital" campaign
raised the additional $150,000 needed in just two months, and Myrtue Memorial
Hospital opened on August 2, 1954, nearly 10 years after Myrtue's death.
Continuing to Better Our Care for Patients and the Community
- 1945: Chris Myrtue passed away, leaving his estate for a hospital
- 1949: Voters approved a $200,000 bond issue, taxes of $150,000
- 1950: Federal Aid of $350,000 obtained
-
1954: Myrtue Memorial Hospital opens a 50-bed hospital
- 1966: New inpatient wing opens
- 1978: Expansion of the south side of the hospital
- 1983: Storeroom, Dock, and Garage extension added
- 1983: Avoca Rural Health Clinic opens
- 1985: ER / Admitting extension added
- 1986: G. E. Larsen Clinic opens in Elk Horn
- 1990: Prairie Rose Mental Health opens
- August 1991: Shelby County Medical Clinic opens in Harlan
- 1992: Shelby Rural Health Clinic opens
- 1994: Home Health and Public Health move to the Hospital
- 1995: Surgery and OB extension added
- 1996: Hospice services begin
- 1999: Physical Therapy, Home Health, Public Health, Dialysis renovation
- 2005: Myrtue Medical Center is converted into a Critical Access Hospital
- 2010: Petersen Family Wellness Center and Lewis Family Aquatic Complex extension added
- 2010: Community Health moves to 12th Street in Harlan
- 2011: Earling Rural Health Clinic opens
- 2011 - 2013: $16.3 million dollar expansion and renovation of the Surgery + Outpatient Specialty Clinic
- 2023 - 2024: $7.7 million dollar expansion and renovation of the Emergency Department | $1.4 million dollar renovation of the Cafeteria
- 2024 - 2025: Expansion and renovation of the Harlan Rural Health Clinic | Mental Health moves to the Harlan Rural Health Clinic
Publication Archives
1954 Medical Staff
- Carl V. Bisgard, MD
- Robert E. Donlin, MD
- L.V. Larsen, MD
- G.E. Larson, MD
- W.S. Markham, MD
- Jos. H. Spearing, MD
Physicians Throughout the Years
Myrtue Medical Center has been fortunate to employ exceptional healthcare professionals who have provided unparalleled care to our community.
- Dr. Carl V. Bisgard – 1954
- Dr. Joseph H. Spearing – 1954
- Dr. Robert E. Donlin – 1954
- Dr. Lawrence V. Larsen – 1954
- Dr. William S. Markham – 1954
- Dr. Gerald E. Larson (Elk Horn) – 1954
- Dr. Wing-Tai Fung (prior to 1974)
- Dr. R. Duane Harris – 1968
- Dr. Roger A. Davidson – 1982
- Dr. Gary Erbes
- Dr. R. Lawrence Magruder
- Dr. David Stilley – 1983
- Dr. Lou Ann McStay (Avoca) – 1986
- Dr. Timothy Brelje – 1993
- Dr. Dilip Parikh – 1994
- Dr. Scott Markham – 1995
- Dr. Donald Klitgaard – 1999
- Dr. Bret Heileson – 2000
- Dr. Sarah Devine – 2003
- Dr. David Erlbacher – 2003
- Dr. Michael Bess – 2008
- Dr. David Bendorf – 2009
- Dr. Brian Anderson – 2010
- Dr. R. Adam Bendorf – 2015
- Dr. Edward Fisher III – 2015
- Dr. Hannah Johnk – 2015
- Dr. Tina Flores Schechinger – 2020
- Dr. Kelly Anderson – 2020
- Dr. LeRoy Hodges – 2022
- Dr. Christopher Gartin – 2025
All bolded physicians listed above are still presently providing care at MMC.
Administrators / CEOs Throughout the Years
- Stanley Volga: 1952 – 1958
- Cletus Turnbach: 1959 – 1974
- Mel Clothier: 1974 – 1976
- Gary Perkins: 1976 – 1980
- Dave Robertson: 1980 – 1985
- Gene Leblond: 1985 – 1988
- Chuck Millberg: 1988 – 1993
- Steve Goeser: 1994– 2004
- Mark Woodring: 2005 – 2008
- Barry Jacobsen: 2009 – 2025
- Kile Magner: 2026 – Present