Our History

Ochiltree General Hospital
The residents of Ochiltree County know they can depend on Ochiltree General Hospital for almost all of their health care needs. For the past 40 years OGH has given dependable service to the community.

The idea of a public hospital for our area had its beginnings in the early 1960's.

Perryton's population was rapidly growing and stretching the capabilities of the two existing private hospitals in the community.

The original bond issue was made with the assumption that the new hospital district would receive funds from the Hill-Burton program.

When the funds did not materialize, an additional bond issue of $500,000 was approved by the voters in December of 1964.

Once construction was underway, many area families donated the furnishings for various patient rooms at the new hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. George Swingle and Mr. and Mrs. Addision Cutter donated the 10 acres.

OGH was originally designed to be a 65-bed, full-service hospital, with the capability to expand to 100 beds.

At the time the first patients were admitted in January of 1967, OGH was the largest and most complete hospital in the North Plains area.

When OGH opened, the cost of a deluxe private room was $30 per day. A private room went for $22.50,a semi-private room was charged at $18 and a bed in the ward cost $14.

R.D. Stephenson, Jr., MD served as the president of the original Board of Directors for OGH.

The Board members were W.C. Sanders, Paul Shrader, Clarence Neufeld and Audie Conley.

Mr. Conley passed away before the construction of the hospital could be completed and was replaced on the board by Clarence Harr.

The original medical staff of the hospital included Zoel Allen, DDS; Manse Wood,DDS; M.G. Wood, DDS; J. Bluford Johnson, MD; R. D. Stephenson, MD; G.L. Kengle, MD; Roy Sanford, MD; E. Burns Gray, MD; Ansel McDowell, MD; C. Dean Monroe, MD and Eugene Waide, MD.

The first administrator of OGH was Gerald F. Geyer.

The key employees were Ruth Hill, RN, Director of Nursing Services; Charles Neas, Chief X-ray technician, Howard Roach, Chief laboratory technician and Marvin Smith, Chief engineer.