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St. Anthony Central Hospital looks back at its history as it steps forward with move
By John Gleason
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RELATED COVERAGE |
The 119-year-old health-care facility located at 4231 W. 16th Ave. in Denver will be closing as operations will soon begin at its new location in Lakewood. The ribbon-cutting celebration at the new St. Anthony Hospital, located at 11600 W. Second Place in Lakewood, was held May 12.
The crowd gathered on the lawn outside the main entrance of the old hospital to hear remarks from Dr. Ray Mencini, interim president and CEO of St. Anthony Central. He told the audience the event was the latest step in a journey that began seven years ago and one which will culminate when the new facility opens June 20.
“This is a special day,” Mencini said, “but as we move forward into this new adventure we all face the fact that we are leaving this institution.”
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| Photo by James Baca/DCR A Denver Catholic Register, photographs and religious medals. |
Kotris, 85 drew laughter from the crowd when she said she didn’t know how to compact her 54-plus years of service into a brief speech.
“I started here on Dec. 5, 1956,” she said, “and all I can say is that St. Anthony has been my second family. “I’ve been happy beyond words to have been part of it and treasure every minute of my time here. Through the years, I can honestly say that St. Anthony has always been at my side.”
Kotris said she has no plans to retire, at least not yet, and was adamant about her plans for the future.
“I’ll be happy to continue, if they want to keep me, at the new hospital,” she said. “God love you all.”
Dorothy Kincaid, 88, told the crowd it’s been an honor to be a volunteer since she first stepped in the building in 1965 and, like Kotris, doesn’t expect to change her routine simply because the hospital is relocating.
“With very few exceptions, I’ve been here every Thursday all these years to volunteer,” she said. “Half my life has been spent at St. Anthony’s and I’m very thankful for that.”
There are few places in the hospital where Kincaid hasn’t worked, from the information desk where people did old fashioned paper work (no computers, thank you) to the gift shop, where a great deal of money was made selling cigarettes for many years, to the emergency room where she was finally assigned in 1970.
“I was there when they first brought in Flight for Life,” she said, “and was one of the first to go out to see the helipad. It was very exciting.”
After the speeches, the ceremony continued with the opening of three time capsules which had been sealed in cornerstones representing different time periods from the institutions history: 1918, 1939 and 1966.
Among the articles found in the capsules were newspaper clippings from each of the years, photographs of the religious sisters who worked at the hospital, a list of women who graduated from the nursing school in 1940, religious medals and post cards featuring a picture of the hospital.
The front pages of two newspapers from the 1918 capsules were unfolded and read to the crowd. The page from The Denver Post dated June 12, 1918, told of war news in Europe. The headline read: “Allies take 1,000 prisoners: French batter Hun lines … gain ground.”
Meantime, on the front page of the June 6, 1918, Denver Catholic Register, the news was more local. One of the front page stories dealt with St. Anthony’s. It read: “Corner stone to be laid on hospital’s 25th jubilee.” Next to it read another headline: “Ordinations next Sunday during Cathedral Mass.”
The ceremony was a mixture of sadness and excitement as the realization set in that soon the halls of the old hospital would be dark and quiet. At the same time, everyone knew that it wasn’t so much of an ending as a transition; one that would take St. Anthony’s further into the 21st century and beyond.
“This has been a great institution where we know miracles have happened every day,” Mencini said, gesturing to the facility in the background, “and we’ll continue to carry that legacy of making them happen. We ask you all to remember our past and think about our present as we move forward to the future.”
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