The History of South Lyon Medical Center - Evolution of a Yerington Landmark . . .

Excerpted from the complete story in REFLECTIONS Publication by Mason Valley News 2005 written by Patricak Abanathy

     In 1953 Dr. Mary Fulstone, the areas matriarch in medical care, knew the time had come for a new facility, which would meet the needs of the increasing population of Yerington and the greater two valleys of Mason and Smith.  At this same time, the Anaconda Copper Company was also eyeing the area for their new copper mine, which would substantially increase the population.

           With Anaconda's backing the people of Lyon County passed $150,000 in bonds on April 14, 1953.  A grant from the federal Hill-Burton covered the balance Westergard said

       Overall, the hospital was estimated to cost nearly $350,000.  The County paid approximately $117,000 as its share while the before-mentioned Hill-Burton paid approximately $234,000.

       In fact, the area held a special election on April 4, 1953 solely for the purpose of authorizing the bond, which would place an extra 14-cent tax on every $100 assessed valuation to local residents.  In the end, registered voters from Mason and Smith Valleys, Weed Heights, Dayton, Silver City and other outlying County areas voted 821-40 in approval.

       The first Hospital Board of Trustees included Louis Isola, A.E. McKenzie, Claude Rift, Frank Goodwin and, as chairman, Norman Brown.  These members had complete say-so of not only the hospital's operation but also building type and equipment.  The State Health Department served as a consulting entity.

       Some of the first visual publications took place in 1954 where the Mason Valley News, on Feb. 5, ran a picture of the architect's drawing of the newly proposed Lyon County Hospital" building.  In this caption only display, the news reported the building was set to include "21 hospital beds, a nursery, nurses' and doctors' facilities, x-ray room, kitchen, dining room and other technical facilities."

       The caption goes on to talk about the bid notice as well as those responsible for designing the building including the firm of Stone and Malloy along with their junior partners Marraccini and Patterson of San Francisco.

       The caption also makes mention of a wing at the rear of the building, which is now the administrative portion of SLMC.  At the captions' end, it notes this wing is being constructed without government funding and is only a possibility if enough monies are left; however, its construction obviously came to pass and the wing was first used as an indigent ward.

      Today, a slow-down in construction is not something found easily in Lyon County; however, "a slight drop in building materials and a slack construction period in the 'West'" led to the conclusion the extra wing would unlikely come to $35,000.

       It was in the April 9 edition of the MVN where it was announced Nomellini Construction Company of Stockton, CA would take on the project following their bid of $321,000.

       "The new building will be of frame and stucco construction and will be located north and east of the present hospital," the article said.     The main structure was to include 15 beds while the indigent wing would hold six.  Along with this, the facility would come complete with operating and x-ray rooms.  In a June 25 article, details continued saying the interior would include plaster, bathrooms and ceramic tile on walls and floor and hallways and rooms covered with asphalt tile.  Heating would be from hot water with convector radiators.

       The June article also quoted inspector Bill Brooks, hired by the Hospital Board, saying work was coming along "satisfactorily" on the new building despite a strike in the lumber industry.

     "According to Mr. Brooks, the materials are the finest he has ever seen in construction and the workmanship is excellent," the article says noting the one-story hospital's footing was one equal to that of a six-story building.

       Since its creation, another big part of the hospital's life has been the SLMC Auxiliary.  At first called the "Hospital Auxiliary," their first meeting took place near mid--October of 1954 at the home of Lowell Shafer in Weed Heights.

     Open to the public, the auxiliary's purpose was to promote a better understanding of hospital needs as well as provide better facilities and foster interest in the aged.  The Auxiliary was formed at nearly the same time as the building and continue to be part of the organization today.

       As mentioned before, the former hospital was simply known as "Lyon County Hospital."  Under all bid notifications and other information until December 1954, this was tentative name of the new building.  However on May 6, 1955 the county dedicated the new facility and dubbed it "Lyon Health Center".

       Unfortunately, the old building was eventually found to be out of compliance with health requirements. This would have resulted in a loss of federal and state funding to the hospital each month.  Following several efforts, the necessary bonds for the new construction was obtained in 1961.

     Other features of this new wing included a solarium, nursing station, utility room, specially designed bathrooms, outdoor patio, laundry room, electric hi-low beds and hallway handrails.

     The next addition to the hospital came in the form of an outpatient clinic, which was dedicated June 28, 1981.  Dedicated and known as the Barnett Clinic, the wing is named for former Administratix and Registered Nurse Clara Barnett.  During this dedication, Dr. Marvin Beams also had the honor of having a wing named after him and his 22 years of service to the Lyon Health Center.

     Along with construction, time also brings change and increasing health care costs was already rearing its head in the mid 1980s.  It was partially a financial reason, which brought St. Mary's Hospital in Reno into the picture.

     Following several meetings and after hearing proposals form both St. Mary's and Washoe Medical Center, the South Lyon County District Board of Trustees and the Lyon County Board of Commissioners signed a lease agreement with St. Mary's at $554 per month for the Lyon Health Center, which was not to exceed 20 years.  

     According to an April 1985 MVN article, the hospital's "financial crisis" was due in part to higher patient ages and dwindling patient numbers.  In mid 1989, it was announced St. Mary's Hospital would honor its contract only until 1990.   Reasoning included the larger hospital's desire to divest in rural hospitals and South Lyon was one, which was only leased rather than owned by them like other rural hospitals.

     In efforts to combat the consequences of St. Mary's pulling out, some, including physician Robin Titus proposed creation of a doctor's general practitioner group and a management group to operate the facility.  A January edition of the MVN as well as a February 1990 edition invited several in the community to become part of the new non-profit corporation, which would lease the facility from the Board of Trustees. 

     The corporation's name, "South Lyon Health Center, Inc." would lease the facility, which would be renamed once again - South Lyon Medical Center."

     Times and Technology continue to change and so does South Lyon Medical Center.  New construction in the past 20 years has include an addition to the long term care facility, appropriately named after Dr. Mary Fulstone, two new outpatient clinics, a new kitchen/dining facility and most recently a new laundry/linen area.