The new 10-floor patient tower at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital was dedicated on May 3, 1981. The first five floors were used right away, the other five stories were “shelled in for later completition,” according to that day’s edition of the American Press. (American Press Archives)

The first five floors of the new 10-floor patient tower at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital was dedicated May 3, 1981— increasing the hospital’s bed capacity from 227 to 280. The other five stories were put on pause for completion later.

The dedication was 10 days short of the 30th anniversary of the hospital’s first groundbreaking on May 13, 1951.

The hospital’s origin can be traced back to 1947 when the Calcasieu Parish Medical Society filed a request with the Police Jury to be permitted to operate a 75-bed hospital at the deactivated Lake Charles Air Force Base on a temporary basis. The Calcasieu Parish Hospital opened in that location on April 1, 1947, and remained in operation until a new hospital could be built.

A population boom in the late 1940s and early 1950s led to the necessity for a larger hospital within the community. The choice was made to build it in the “up-and-coming neighborhood” of Oak Park.

Lake Charles Memorial Hospital opened on Oct. 23, 1952, with 100 beds and a 20-nurse staff. The cost for construction was $1.8 million.

Since it’s 1952 opening, there have been several additions to the building: in 1955, the hospital built a helipad — which the American Press described as “a landing place for helicopters that transport injured offshore oil workers to life-saving medical care;” in 1959, a 65-bed north wing was added; in 1965, 24 private rooms were constructed on the third floor of that north wing addition; in 1966, a 30-bed pediatric unit was created; and in 1972 a west wing that included a 26-bed obstetrical floor, a 12-bed critical care unit and a new surgical floor was unveiled.

“The most recent addition, the 10-floor patient tower will greatly expand the hospital’s services,” reads the May 3, 1981, American Press.

The first floor included a new lobby and information desk, an interdenominational chapel, gift shop, medical library, elevator bank with four elevators, a 120-seat conference center and a new area for the business and admitting offices, medical records, date processing and the medical staff office.

The second, fourth and fifth floors contained 41-bed medical surgical units; the third floor was for an 18-bed critical care unit.

“The move into the new building left parts of the older building empty,” the American Press reported. “These parts will be renovated and made into new offices, as well as give additional space to some of the hospital’s ancillary services.”

The newspaper said the top five floors of the new tower remained partially constructed.

“Four of these stories will be completed within the next several years,”the newspaper reported. “The 10th story will remain shelled-in, space for any expansion the community might require of the hospital.”

Some of the new services that the hospital board said it hoped to offer the community with the next five years of the tower’s opening included a 26-bed rehabilitation unit, a 17-bed adolescent unit, the expansion of the six-bed neonatal intensive care unit to 18 beds.

Also the hospital wanted to add a 40-bed orthopedic unit, six guest rooms for patients’ relatives, the expansion of the surgery area from six to eight operating rooms and the doubling in size of the radiology department, pathology laboratory and physical therapy.