Growth in all areas certainly has been a hallmark of the hospital since June 3, 1982, when the board of directors of Memorial Hospital of Winnsboro voted to begin a process that would lead to the opening of Presbyterian Hospital of Winnsboro in December 1985.

Charles Butts, Winnsboro's hospital administrator, stayed on through the construction of a new 50-bed facility that was completed the fall of 1985, when he retired. Jerry Hopper took over as hospital administrator.

Moving day was a community effort, according to Karen Cason, who was the business office manager and had been with the hospital for more than 20 years. She credited the community support for the success of the hospital.

"Jerry Hopper was very involved in the community," she said. "We created a Hospital Action Team back then, which is now called Community Outreach."

That outreach has included sponsoring health fairs, financial planning assistance for senior citizens, specialized health screenings and free drug screenings for youth who join Drug Free Youth in Texas (D-FY-IT).

Over the years, more physicians joined the handful of original medical staff and services expanded to include an endoscopy center, emergency helicopter service a day-surgery program and mammography services, pulmonary rehabilitation, and wound care services.

By 1988, additional services were added in orthopedics, urology, pediatrics and ophthalmology.  In 1996, the Wound Care Clinic opened and with a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

Hopper retired in 1997, and Dan Noteware took over as administrator until December 2004.

Matthew Troup held the position beginning in 2005. Michael Sinclair joined Texas Health Winnsboro as its administrator in June 2007, followed by Michael Pruitt in August 2008. 

Texas Health Resources decided in December 2008 to discontinue the contract with Community Health Corporation, who employed the administrators that managed the hospital. Senior management of Texas Health Resources said they were pleased with the contributions made by Community Health Corporation but wanted the administrator to be employed by Texas Health Resources. 

Patsy Youngs was appointed the interim president, effective Jan. 1, 2009. That same day, the hospital's name was changed to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Winnsboro. The hospital had been part of the Texas Health Resources family of hospitals since 1997, and the name was changed to reflect that the hospital was part of system serving North and North Eastern Texas.

In 2009, the Senior Care Unit opened to the community and it received an overwhelming response. The future is bright for Texas Health Winnsboro, and we are all excited about what lies ahead.