Saline Health System celebrates 70 years of caring

Hospital commemorates anniversary with ceremony, proclamation and timeline wall reveal

BENTON, Ark. (June 24, 2025) – On Friday, June 20, Saline Memorial Hospital kicked off celebrations for its 70th anniversary with a ceremony, proclamation reading and timeline wall unveiling at the hospital.

Saline County Judge Matt Brumley proclaimed that June 26, the anniversary marking the day the hospital first opened to the public in 1955, would be Saline Memorial Hospital Appreciation Day throughout Saline County. Before taking office, Brumley worked at the hospital and as the hospital’s partner at the Saline Health Foundation for more than 25 years, and he shared that what he had learned about caring and serving through that experience has carried over into his current position. 

“It’s a culture of serving, and that’s what we do,” Brumley said. “It brought me up in this place, and what I do now is the same – just serving people.”

Saline Health System CEO Char Boulch shared that Gov. Sarah Sanders has also issued a proclamation naming June 26 as Saline Memorial Hospital Appreciation Day throughout the state of Arkansas.

Although it was originally established as a county-owned hospital, Saline Health System is now a part of Lifepoint Health, a diversified healthcare delivery network with facilities throughout the United States and services that span the healthcare continuum. Lifepoint Western Division President Jen Alderfer congratulated the hospital staff on its anniversary and wished the hospital all the best for the next 70 years and beyond.

“Visiting Saline is so consistently encouraging and energizing because this is one of the most highly engaged teams that we have,” she said. “[Those] of you that live here and work here in this community feel it in the connection you have with the caregivers and the leaders.”

During the ceremony, the Saline County Chapter of the Arkansas Nurses Honor Guard handed out roses to four dedicated nurses, who represent the past, present and future of nursing at Saline: Azy Crabb, who worked at the hospital when the doors first opened in 1955; Boulch, who joined the hospital as a chief nursing officer two years ago and now serves as CEO; and Kara McGhee, one of the hospital's newest nurses. Although Betty Calahan was not able to attend the event, the Honor Guard also recognized her for 58 years of service at the hospital.

Crabb joined Robin Mills, Rebecca Corley and Regina Barber, the first set of triplets who were born at Saline Memorial Hospital, in unveiling the timeline wall that has been installed in the hospital’s main lobby.

The timeline wall highlights memorable moments and dedicated caregivers from the hospital’s past 70 years.  Marlo Krueger, the daughter of Frances Davidson Bush, the hospital’s first administrator/CEO, got to see a picture of her mother that is included in the wall. Likewise, Arthur Wilson Jr., the son of Arthur Wilson, the hospital’s longest serving administrator/CEO, got to see his father commemorated on the wall. He also visited the Wilson Wing, which was dedicated to his father in 1977 and now houses the hospital’s acute inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Several of the hospital’s advisory board members, including Dr. Mike McGhee, Dr. Lewis Porter, Rhonda Sanders, Janet Dixon and Paul White, were also in attendance at the event, along with joint venture board member Chris Williams and many former and current team members, patients, community members and partners.

During the ceremony, Boulch reflected on how the hospital has grown from having a 43-bed capacity with 25 employees and eight physicians to having a 177-bed capacity with more than 850 dedicated team members and 180 active and consulting providers. Saline Health System now also operates a network of seven clinics.

“While this growth is something we’re deeply proud of, we remain committed to delivering personalized, compassionate care to every patient who walks through our doors,” Boulch said. “For us, it has never been just about expanding our footprint; it has always been about fulfilling our mission of making communities healthier. As we look to the future, that mission will continue guiding us, ensuring we meet the evolving needs of Saline County while staying true to our legacy of care and compassion.”

*Photo courtesy of Madison Basco at the Saline Courier*

About Saline Memorial Hospital

Saline Health System, a part of LifePoint Health, is made up of Saline Memorial Hospital, a 177-bed acute care facility, and Saline Clinics, a network of primary care and specialty clinics. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center. Saline Memorial Hospital is also proud to be recognized as a Leapfrog Grade “A” Hospital for its commitment to patient safety and quality care. For more information about Saline Memorial Hospital, please call 501.776.6000 or visit SalineMemorial.org. For more information about LifePoint Health, visit LifePointHealth.net.