by Sophia Root,

Commerce Chenango

This week, Commerce Chenango would like to highlight UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, the only hospital in Chenango County, founded in Norwich 113 years ago.

The hospital is Chenango County’s fifth largest employer, giving out 600 paychecks.

The hospital, which Executive Director of the Chenango Memorial Hospital Foundation Melissa Stagnaro called: Chenango County’s “hub of healthcare” has served the county and greater Chenango areas since its foundation in 1910.

The hospital was founded after there was a railway accident and there was no hospital to support the local community. Realizing this, the local community raised $150,000 ($3.5 million at present) in 11 days and established a hospital on the corner of Hale Street and South Broad Street. Last year, the hospital helped deliver 201 babies. Only 45% of rural hospitals have maternity care, and UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital is proud to be one of them, especially considering the next delivery facility is in a hospital an hour away.

After the hospital was established, it underwent renovations in 1929, 1958, 1970, and another in 2020. The most recent project is called the Chenango Memorial Hospital Neighborhood Project. Initialized in 2018, phase 1 was completed in the beginning of 2022.