A History of Care, Compassion and Community

Blessing Hospital traces its roots to 1873 and a group called “The Charitable Aid and Hospital Association.” Members of the association felt there was no place to go in the city of Quincy for the sick poor or sick travelers. Click below to read more on how Blessing Hospital was founded.

Karla Paris & Cathleen Koch

150 Years - How This Daughter Brings Her Mother To Tears

Karla Paris is Blessing Hospital’s associate chief nursing officer. Cathleen Koch is Karla’s mother and instructor in Blessing Hospital’s Certified Nursing. What they went through together was earning their bachelor of science in nursing degrees, and making memories along the way.

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Karla Paris and Cathleen Koch

Karla and Cathleen

150 Years At A Glance

1875-1900
  • On May 10, 1875 a 19-room hospital opened, built by the Charitable Aid and Hospital Association on land donated by Matthias and Sarah Denman. The hospital was totally supported by donation.
  • In 1891, The Blessing Hospital Training School for Nurses (now the Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences) opened. It was among the first nursing education programs in the Midwest, outside of Chicago. It was also on the list of the first programs accredited by the Illinois Department of Registration and Education in 1909. The college opened to educate and provide nurses for local healthcare needs. Today, Blessing-Rieman continues to fulfill that mission and has evolved to a nationally recognized healthcare careers education provider whose graduates serve patients around the region, the country and the world.
  • In 1895, the first addition is built after the hospital acquired its first ambulance and could accommodate 50 patients with 52 surgeries performed that year.
     
1940-1970
  • In 1943, Blessing Hospital became the first civilian hospital in Illinois to use penicillin. The first dose was administered to a nine-year-old girl who had been in the hospital six weeks. The drug came from Boston and reached Quincy within 24 hours of request.
  • In 1952, a new wing was constructed on 10th Street for 75 additional beds, an emergency room, radiology and lab departments, and a tea room and gift shop.
  • In 1961, the Rehabilitation Wing opened. The ground floor became the first rehabilitation center in the area, with patient rooms on the upper floors, enlarging capacity to 225 beds. The Building Fund Campaign raised $600,000 in the community.
  • In 1970, a major building addition opened, increasing Blessing’s available hospital beds by 76 percent. The Moorman Foundation and the Moorman Company Fund contributed $3.5 million to the project in 1966. The “1970 patient tower” as it is known remains in use today.
1970-2000
  • In 1973, the Quincy Ministerial Association formed a volunteer corps of clergy to minister to Blessing Hospital patients without a church affiliation, one of the first such programs at any hospital in the country. The program won an American Hospital Association Volunteer Award in 1993.
  • In 1974, Blessing became the first hospital in Illinois to establish an on-site employee child care center to help it recruit and retain nurses. Just as Blessing-Rieman College does, the center continues to fulfill that mission today but has grown significantly.  It is now known as the Early Learning Center and is nationally accredited for the educational programming it offers to the children in its care.
  • In 1983, Blessing was among the first downstate hospitals to offer Computed Tomography (CT) scanning. Today, Blessing offers one of the most sophisticated radiology departments in the region, accredited by the American College of Radiology. 
    Blessing Hospice became the first Medicare-certified hospice program in Illinois, providing care to the terminally ill and their loved ones.
  • In 1993, Blessing purchased and consolidated with St. Mary Hospital to decrease duplication of services in the region. The Franciscan Sisters of the Poor had proudly operated St. Mary Hospital for 127 years.
  • In 1997, Blessing Hospital brought the region its first, 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week medical helicopter service when it partnered with Air Evac, a private company from West Plains, MO.  The need for this service became apparent when the Memorial Bridge across the Mississippi River was forced to close during the Flood of 1993.
2000-2010
  • A community fund drive begun in 2002 met its goal to help build the Cancer Center on Blessing Hospital’s main campus, locating the community’s cancer services under one roof.  The Cancer Center is fully accredited by The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.
    • The Center is home to the region’s only American College of Radiation Oncology certified radiation therapy department. The Hospital began offering cancer treatment to the region in 1963. In 1983, Blessing installed its first linear accelerator. Today, the radiation oncology department operates two state-of-the-art linear accelerators and offers a variety of treatments for cancers.
  • In 2004, the Heart & Vascular Center opened, as the first open heart surgery and the first coronary artery stent placement procedure were performed, eliminating the need for patients to travel out-of-town for this life-saving care.
  • In 2005, the new Emergency Center opens, twice-the-size of the former space used since 1982.
  • In 2006, Blessing Hospital became the region’s only nationally accredited Chest Pain Center for its demonstrated expertise in and commitment to treating patients with chest pain.
  • In 2007, Blessing Hospital brought digital mammography to the region. Aided by computer enhancement, digital mammography could better detect cancer than film-based mammography alone.
    • In 2015, Blessing brought the next advancement in breast healthcare to the region with 3D mammography. It allowed radiologist to examine breast tissue layer by layer, in finer detail, especially beneficial for women with dense breast tissue.
  • In 2010, Blessing Hospital earned Magnet status for the first time from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Magnet status is the highest national honor awarded for nursing excellence. Blessing Hospital and its nurses continue to hold that status today.
  • Blessing Hospital began offering hospitalist care. Hospitalists are doctors based in the hospital and see only inpatients, providing them with immediate access to physician care 24/7/365.
  • Blessing brought the first robotic-assisted surgical system to the region. The da Vinci system revolutionized minimally-invasive surgery. Surgeons now use a number of robotic-assisted systems in Blessing Hospital’s operating rooms for a variety of conditions and procedures.
2010-2020
  • In 2011, Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences opened its state-of-the-art Simulation Lab, where nursing students receive experience working with life-like, computerized mannequins displaying common health conditions and complications before moving to the bedside of actual patients.
  • In 2012, Blessing Hospital brought bariatric surgery to the region in partnership with a Springfield, Illinois, hospital, offering people with life-threatening weight management challenges a new treatment option.
    • In 2020, Blessing hired its own bariatric surgeon, providing the foundation to expand medically managed weight loss options and establish the Heartburn & Reflux Center.
  • In 2013, Quincy native Dr. John Hammock performed the first cardiac electrophysiology (EP) procedure at Blessing Hospital, correcting a patient’s abnormal heart rhythm without them having to travel 100 miles for this complex and life-changing care.
    • In 2025, the Blessing EP Lab became one of only 48 nationwide accredited by the American College of Cardiology for its demonstrated excellence in providing care to patients with abnormal heart rhythms that can contribute to stroke, sudden cardiac arrest and death.
  • In 2015, as the result of a successful public fundraising campaign, the Moorman Pavilion opened. It provided 52 new single bed rooms and allowed 52 existing Blessing Hospital patient rooms to become single bed rooms. It also became the new home of Blessing’s inpatient Behavioral Center – the only inpatient behavioral center in 100 miles – and to the Infusion Center.
    • The Blessing Walk-In Clinic opened, expanding access to urgent care in non-life-threatening medical situations.
  • In 2017, Blessing hired its first medical oncologist, increasing access to cancer care in the region.
    • Two new operating rooms were built, including a hybrid room with features needed to accommodate the latest minimally invasive procedures.
  • In 2019, Blessing hired its first two orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeon and podiatrist, laying the groundwork for the comprehensive musculoskeletal care available to the region today.
  • In 2020, the TAVR procedure became available at Blessing Hospital, expanding options for those needing heart valve replacement surgery. In years to come, Blessing would bring additional life-saving heart procedures to the region, including Watchman and Amulet, minimally invasive procedures for an abnormal heart rhythm not related to a heart valve problem.
    • Blessing established a Clinical Research department to bring access to nationwide medical treatment trials for patients who qualify for participation.
       
2020-2025
  • In 2021, using lessons learned in providing testing for COVID-19 patients, the Blessing Express Clinic opened. This drive-thru outpatient medical clinic revolutionized convenient access to care for non-life-threatening medical situations and testing.
    • Also, as a result of COVID, Blessing opened a molecular lab to compliment the work of its clinical laboratory. By targeting the material related to the genes that are unique to a disease-causing organism, molecular tests can often deliver diagnostic results much quicker and, in many cases, more accurately than conventional techniques, decreasing the risk for the spread of infectious disease.
    • The outpatient surgery center opened on Blessing Hospital’s campus, advancing the science of minimally invasive surgery through the latest technological advancements, thereby increasing residents’ convenient access to this cutting-edge care.
    • The Blessing Resource Center opened. It is a conveniently located, one-stop resource for people with questions and needs regarding all things Blessing Hospital.
  • In 2022, Blessing brought Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction (BLVR) surgery to the region, the gold standard for the care of people living with breathing problems caused by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
  • In 2023, 3T MRI came to Blessing and its patients. Because of its power, 3T MRI provides extremely clear and vivid images of structures inside the body during a shorter scanning time for patients.
    • A specialty pharmacy was built to provide patients with complex conditions requiring equally-as-complex medications local access to the treatment they need.
  • In 2024, the first ultrasound Renal Denervation procedure in the state of Illinois was performed at Blessing Hospital, offering a new option for people with chronically high blood pressure.
    • The Clinical Laboratory completed a four-year renovation, adding nearly a dozen new pieces of sophisticated equipment to enhance its delivery of accurate and timely testing. The Lab performs over 3-million tests a year.
    • The Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery team earned international recognition for its work with cleft lip, palate and other head and facial bone disorders by earning "Cleft Palate Team” status from the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association (ACPA).
    • The Hospital from Home program began, offering inpatient hospital level care for select non-behavioral conditions to qualifying patients in the comfort of their home.