About Us
Madison County Memorial Hospital
is a Medicare/Medicaid approved
Our History:
Madison County Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit organization,
operating under a contract with the Special Hospital District, called
the Madison County Health and Hospital District. The governing board of
this district is made up of seven directors appointed by the governor of
Florida. These directors serve staggered four year terms and are
selected from applications submitted to the governors office by citizens
of the county.*
The hospital began operations in 1937. The first building that housed its
operations was obtained from the family of Dr. J.Y. Yates. That first
building was formerly the Yates Sanitarium and still stands today, as
apartments located on he corner of Shelby and Livingston Streets.
In 1947, the hospital moved into a new building. It obtained a two story
building called the Yankee Hunting Lodge, located at 200 NE Shelby
Street. The first LPN program of the North Florida Junior College was
held in the upstairs of the hospital. After the hospital moved to its
present location, the Hunting Lodge building was sold and moved to a
location on Hancock Street and then to 305 NE Livingston Street, where
it stands today as a private residence. Camellias from the hospital
grounds were replanted in the Four Freedoms Park.
Legislation was passed in 1950 to create today's Special Hospital
District. A $175,000 bond issue and federal funds were made available by
the Hill-Burton Act to finance the building of a new hospital which
opened in March, 1955. The opening ceremony was presided over by Mr.
James Hardee and addresses were given by Governor Leroy Collins and
Senator Turner Davis. The hospital administrator was Burt Culwell.
The hospital was expanded in 1970 and again in 1976.
A rural health clinic, Four Freedoms Health Services was established in
1993 through a rural health clinic transition grant. Dr. John Hsu was
its first medical director.