The Decades of Union Hospital: Part 2

1940’s: During World War II, many of the doctors and forty-seven of the nurses at the hospital traveled with the armed forces, helping to set up military hospitals and mend the wounded. Although it is unclear where the doctors and nurses were stationed, it is certain that their expertise was essential.
1950’s: The medical staff at the center was treating more than 11,000 cases a year. Union Hospital was reveling in the post–World War II economic boom. Renovations to the hospital continued, boasting a 250 bed capacity by the end of the 1950s.

1960’s: The Training School for Nurses closed in 1965. Only four years later student nurses once again filled the halls. Indiana State University built the Nursing Clinical Education Building for the hospital. In exchange for the building, staff educated students in the field of nursing. Luckily, these nurses no longer lived above a power plant, unlike their predecessors. One year later, Union Hospital also began training doctors. IU’s School of Medicine, located on ISU’s campus, supplied the doctors for the program. Union Hospital opened the Family Practice Center residency placement and training for future family physicians.

1970’s: Union Hospital began a four-phase building expansion program. All administrative functions took place in the 1922 building, while all patient care occurred in the new complex. The new space allowed the institution to develop into a center for experimental research and specialized training.