1953
During the summer, local residents establish the first board of directors for Jefferson Memorial Hospital and elect Amos A. Govero as chairman. With help from a $375,000 federal grant, Govero and the board begin raising nearly $1 million to build a hospital for their community.
1957
After several years of community fundraising, that vision becomes reality. Jefferson Memorial Hospital opens May 15 with three doctors, 13 employees and 50 patient beds.
1965
Less than a decade after opening, another successful fundraising campaign allows the hospital to double in size. A second floor is added, expanding patient capacity to 98 beds.
1977
A $5 million expansion adds 115,000 square feet of space, 108 patient beds, eight private rooms and six operating rooms. The project also creates a new entrance for the emergency room.
1985
Jefferson Memorial Hospital celebrates the opening of new emergency, physical therapy and outpatient surgery facilities. The project also expands cardiovascular services and nuclear medicine capabilities.
1996
A new surgical intensive care unit opens as part of a comprehensive cardiopulmonary care program that includes cardiac catheterization. A new cancer center expands services available to patients in the community.
2009
As the hospital's reach grows throughout Southeast Missouri, Jefferson Memorial Hospital becomes Jefferson Regional Medical Center, a new name reflecting its expanding role as a regional health care provider.
2010
The Surgical Hospital opens across U.S. Highway 61 from the main hospital campus. The first facility of its kind in Missouri, the 25,000-square-foot hospital includes 15 private patient suites, four operating rooms and two endoscopy rooms with advanced technology.
2013
On February 1, Jefferson Regional Medical Center joins Mercy and becomes Mercy Hospital Jefferson. The hospital becomes part of the ministry founded by Catherine McAuley and carried forward by the Sisters of Mercy, continuing a tradition of compassionate service to people in need.
2018
A new patient tower opens with all-private rooms, providing updated spaces for patients and families. The new Mercy Cancer Center also opens, expanding cancer services on campus.
2024
Mercy Hospital Jefferson becomes a regional campus for Lake Erie College or Osteopathic Medicine, the college's first regional campus in the Midwest.
2026
The community spirit that brought local residents together to build a hospital in 1953 continues to shape Mercy Hospital Jefferson today. The hospital remains focused on the needs of Jefferson County and surrounding communities while connecting patients with advanced technology and a growing range of health care services close to home.
