History of our hospitals
– THEN AND NOW

1903

Following a typhoid outbreak in the Amherst area about the turn of the century, a Mr. Joe Reeves (one of the original councilors of the town of Amherst at its incorporation in 1896) circulated a petition calling for the construction of a hospital. Mr. R. B. Dickey donated three acres of land and in 1903, the Highland View Regional Hospital was opened. It was given the name of Highland View due to its location high upon the Park Street hill.

1930

With a capacity to handle approximately 35 patients, that hospital served the Amherst area until the early hours of the morning on a stormy May 24th in 1928, when a fire raced through the building and and destroyed all but the outer brick walls. Nurses and patients escaped with their lives, their nightclothes and little else to nearby homes; fortunately all the documents were saved.

The community immediately took steps to recover from the damage of the fire. "Bird's Nest", the home of Louis Bird was converted into a temporary hospital site to handle 16 patients and later an operating room was set up at the Stern's property where another 16 patients could be accommodated. Concerned citizens established a fund to provide money for re-outfitting fourteen student nurses and four maids whose clothing and personal effects had been destroyed. Within a very few days, committees were meeting to form plans for rebuilding the hospital. (The total loss was estimated at over $100,000 and insurance coverage provided something in the order of $80,000). Construction of a new hospital was eventually begun and when funds proved insufficient to finish the top floor, Cyrus Eaton and his sister, who happened to be visiting Amherst at the time, donated enough money to finish the building. It opened in 1930 and was equipped to handle 65 patients.

Nursing Class of 1952

The school of nursing which had been training nurses for nearly forty years closed in 1960, just five years before increasing needs for health care services led to the construction of a new hospital in 1965, one that could accommodate 103 patients. The east wing housed the Physiotherapy and Laboratory Departments of Highland View, and the Department of Mental Health was also amalgamated with Highland View Regional Hospital. In addition the Department of Public Health also had offices in the old hospital building.

1965

In 1973 Highland View Hospital was incorporated and at the same time became a regional hospital for Cumberland County. A Board of Trustees replaced the former Board of Commissioners, but was charged with the same overall responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the hospital. Also in 1973 a new Intensive Care Unit was built at a cost of $225,000 and at the time of its opening was among the most modern units in Eastern Canada.

In 2002 the new Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre (CRHCC) replaced the Highland View. The new hospital is enhancing health care services county wide. The new regional hospital is a model of efficiency. The centre piece of the building is a two-story atrium running along the central portion of the building with many of the hospital's departments easily accessed. It was designed to incorporate as much natural light into the facility as possible. Like other buildings under the Cumberland Health Authority, The Cumberland Regional Heath Care Centre is entirely smoke free.

The brand-new $46 million health-care centre provides Cumberland County with high-quality health care. The building, which was built around the needs and functions of the staff, has the same number of beds, but boasts 70 per cent more space. Cumberland County is able to provide top of the line health care with the acquisition of several pieces of new equipment through the commitment of the Cumberland Health Care Foundation and the Cumberland Health Care Auxiliary. Services provided at the site includes 24-hour emergency care, surgery, internal medicine, anesthesia, obstetrics, general medicine, intensive care, diagnostic imaging including a CT-Scan, rehabilitative service including physiotherapy and occupational therapy, diabetes education, laboratory and other related support services.

Statistics for April  1, 2008 – March 2009

• Emergency Room Visits: 21,456
• Outpatient/Ambulatory Care Visits: 24,629
• Day Surgery Patients: 2,527
• Surgical In-patients: 619
• Births: 203
• Total Admissions: 2,433
• Total Patient Days: 20,118
• Laboratory In-house Procedures: 797,990
• Diagnostic Imaging Tests: 27,900
• ECG Dept. Tests: 7,400
• Echocardiograms:  1,300
• Mammography Screening & Diagnostic:  3,000
• Total Number Beds: 65

Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre
19428 Highway #2, R. R. #6
Amherst, NS, B4H 1N6
Phone:(902) 667-3361