About Us

Adams County Hospital (ACH) was conceived in November 1948 through the support of 85% of the voters for a $250,000 Bond Issue.   Shortly after that, the Governor appointed a Board of County Hospital Trustees to oversee the planning of a hospital: R. L. Lawwill, M.D., Seaman; Robert B. Ellison, M.D.,  Peebles;  Harold Seaman, West Union; and P. Bennie Colletti, Manchester.  At the first Board of Trustees meeting in December 1948 Dr. Lawwill was elected Chairman of the Board.  By March 1949 Adams County Hospital had its name and the decision to begin construction of ACH on the site adjacent to the county Children’s Home was made.  After much effort by the Trustees, the Ohio Department of Health approved our initial 26-bed general hospital.  

In August 1951 the first Operating Board of Trustees of ACH was appointed by the County Commissioners:  Robert B. Ellison, M.D., Peebles; Wilbur Greenlee, Seaman; A. O. Shumaker, Winchester; Victor Ralston, Stout; Lauradell Dugle, Manchester; and Glen Mosier, West Union.  Mr. Mosier was elected Chairman and Mrs. Dugle was elected Secretary. 

An open house was held on  July 20, 1952, with Governor Frank Lausche and other state dignitaries in attendance.  Visitors to the open house brought canned goods and other commodities to help stock the hospital kitchen.  The first patient was admitted to Adams County Hospital on Wednesday,  September 3, 1952.  The daily room and board rates were $8.00 for the four-bed wards, $10.00 for a semi-private room, and $15.00 for a private room.  The first Active Medical Staff consisted of  Drs. Sam Clark, S. J. Ellison, Robert B. Ellison, Sam Gendlemen, S. B. Sonkin, Hazel L. Sproull, Robert Lawwill, Richard C. Wenrick, and W. T. LaNeave.  Earle Wilks served as the first Administrator. 

It took only a few months to realize that the hospital was too small and in November 1952 the Board discussed the need for additional beds.  In June 1953 the Board decided to have a request for 30 more beds submitted to the voters.  The Bond Issue was approved at the November 1953 election, and a 30-bed addition was completed in 1955.  

The first meeting of the ACH Auxiliary was held in October 1953 with twenty members present.  Officers were Mary Pixley, President; Ruth Young, Vice-President; and Bess Ellis, Secretary-Treasurer.  The Auxiliary is still an integral part of ACH through their fund raising for nursing scholarships and medical equipment and hundreds of thousands of hours of volunteer services.   

In 1966, following the passage of another bond issue,  32 more beds were added, bringing the total bed compliment to 90.   

In 1970 a storage wing was added.  This and other additions, including upgraded parking facilities, piped oxygen, a portable heart monitor and defibrillator, a second X-ray machine, an electronic computer for general accounting, and a two-bed coronary care unit, were all paid for from operating surpluses and donations.  It was also during this period that the ACH Board and Medical Staff worked to add additional equipment and services to eliminate lengthy trips to distant cities for many diagnostic procedures.  The addition or remodeling of services such as  Specialty Clinics, Pathology, Pharmacy and Dietary were completed during this decade.   

The 1980’s found increasing advances in technology and new government regulations being imposed on health care facilities.  In order to keep up with rapid changes in health care, and to meet the expectations of patients, the Board of Trustees proposed a $3.4 million bond issue to provide more local services and meet new regulations.  At the May 7, 1985, special election the voters of Adams County approved the levy by an overwhelming 6 to 1 landslide.  Some of the major new additions included in this renovation project was a state-of-the-art Emergency Department, operating suite, special care unit, a larger Out-Patient Specialty Clinic area, Albert R. Hanna Care Center, office space, and a modernized Imaging Department, including  X-Ray, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, C.T., and Mammography equipment.  In keeping with the trend toward out-patient services, the bed compliment was reduced to 67 beds.   

In 1997 ACH continues to serve the residents in and around Adams County by  providing efficient, high quality health care. Linda Niles currently serves as CEO of ACH and is guided by a Board of Trustees. During the past few years, ACH Home Care, Lyric Health Care Center, ACH Sports Medicine, ACH Occupational Health Care Center, ACH Rehabilitation Center (including expanded physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiac, pulmonary, stroke and speech therapy services and fitness programs), ACH Medical Arts Center, and the Northern Adams Medical Center (including the first Urgent Care Center in Adams County) have joined the family of health care services available in Adams County.  These major new programs have been supplemented by new diagnostic/treatment equipment (MRI scanner, helical CT scanning, osteoporosis scanning, thallium stress testing, cardiac monitoring, respiratory therapy, automated laboratory equipment, etc.) in every department in the Hospital.  The entire organization strives to keep their commitment to continuous improvement and promotion of quality patient care in meeting rapidly changing health care needs.  

Contact Information

Telephone: (937) 386-3400 Fax: (937) 386-3069

Mailing Address: 230 Medical Center Drive, Seaman, OH 45679

Information Technology:  Chris Willis