Doctors Hospital of Manteca Celebrates 60th Anniversary
Feb 28, 2022
Doctors Hospital of Manteca recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. The hospital opened its doors on February 26, 1962, and we have proudly cared for our community since that day.
We celebrated the milestone with a special event with hospital leadership, local dignitaries, longtime physicians and employees, and our volunteer auxiliary.
The event began with remarks from our Chief Executive Officer Eleze Armstrong, as well as a round of applause for our frontline staff who care for our patients 24/7 and a moment of silence to honor the lives lost to COVID-19.
The program continued with a look back at the history of Doctors Hospital of Manteca and what’s to come in the future. In addition, longtime physicians and employees were recognized:
- Dr. Karl Wolf – Serving patients since 1973
- Dr. Howard Miller – Serving patients since 1977
- Dr. Anil Sain – Serving patients since 1978
- Dr. Craig Bobson – Serving patients since 1985
- Dr. George Scott – Serving patients since 1985
- Michael Brown – 45 years of service; hired in September 1976
- Julie Taylor – 42 years of service; hired in March 1980
- Connie Rocha – 41 years of service; hired in September 1980
- Lisa Hoag – 37 years of service; hired in July 1984
- Donna Nicholas – 37 years of service; hired in July 1984
We also recognized our volunteer auxiliary members. The Doctors Hospital of Manteca Volunteer Auxiliary was organized in November of 1962 by a group of women willing to volunteer time and service to patients and the hospital. Since that date, the women and men of the auxiliary have completed an admirable record of service, contributing thousands of hours each year to the welfare of our patients, visitors and employees.
Doctors Hospital of Manteca is deeply rooted in the community. We can trace our roots back to 1955 when Manteca civic leaders wanted a top-notch hospital in the community to eliminate the need to travel to Stockton or beyond for medical care. Ground was broken on August 2, 1961, for an 11,000 sq. ft. hospital costing $355,000.
We opened our doors on February 26, 1962, licensed for 25 beds as a general acute care facility. We had 41 employees and 7 physicians. We now have more than 525 employees and more than 200 physicians on our medical staff.
Eual Baker was the Administrator when the hospital opened. The first patient treated at DHM was Hugo DeGraff. The first baby born was to Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Limas on February 28, 1962.
Over the years, we have continued to grow, add services, and invest in state-of-the-art technologies to provide high levels of care right here in Manteca. Doctors Hospital of Manteca went from 49 beds to 73 beds in 1988 by adding the second floor that currently houses our med/surg/telemetry unit.
In the last decade, we have added to our outpatient footprint by opening an ambulatory surgery center, outpatient imaging center, and a multi-specialty center that includes wound care services.
While we continue to upgrade the aesthetics of our facility with new flooring and surfaces across multiple departments, our next large project will be breaking ground on 30,000 square feet of medical office space located directly across the parking lot from the hospital. This project will allow for growth of medical services here in Manteca. We anticipate the completion of construction sometime in 2023.
Our staff champions our Primary Stroke Center designation, facilitated with the help of telehealth access to board certified neurology specialists at UCSF. We continue to develop and excel with high quality marks in our Breast Health Services, Bariatric Surgery, and Orthopedic Surgery.
Doctors Hospital of Manteca has grown in so many ways over the last 60 years, from our physical footprint to the services we provide to our advances in technology. We are proud to be your community hospital and look forward to providing excellent care for many years to come.