SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital is inviting the community to help celebrate 75 years of local care. The hospital will host a public anniversary celebration from 10am to noon on Sunday, June 28. The open house will include refreshments in the cafeteria, the unveiling of a new Agnesian HealthCare Foundation donor wall, and a look at the Waupun Fine Arts display across from the gift shop.
Hospital leaders say the event is a chance to reflect on Waupun Memorial Hospital’s history and its long-standing connection to the community.
“This gathering gives us the opportunity to look back on the remarkable history and deep community roots that shaped SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital,” says DeAnn Thurmer, president of SSM Health St. Clare Hospital-Baraboo, Ripon Community Hospital, and SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital.
The celebration will also give community members a chance to wish Thurmer well ahead of her retirement on July 1.
Participants can learn more about the Art and DeAnn Thurmer Endowment Fund, which was created to support initiatives that benefit Waupun Memorial Hospital employees. The fund is intended to help provide moments of encouragement, appreciation, and joy for team members through wellness efforts, recognition events, and other gestures of support.
SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital traces its roots back to 1943, when Waupun Mayor Judson J. Rikkers appointed a Citizen’s Hospital Committee to study the need for a hospital in the community. By 1945, community leaders had launched a fundraising campaign to help build a new health care facility.
Construction began in 1949, and Waupun Memorial Hospital was dedicated in 1951 as a tribute to veterans of both world wars. The hospital opened its doors on July 5 of that year. The hospital’s sponsorship transferred to the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes in 1987. It became part of SSM Health in 2018.
Nicole Gill, vice president and clinical administrator for SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital and SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital, says the anniversary is a major milestone for both the hospital and the communities it serves.
“We are grateful for the generations of caregivers and community partners who have advanced our mission and strengthened local access to high-quality, faith-inspired health care,” Gill says.
Over the decades, the hospital has marked several milestones, including national recognition for quality care, more than 56 years of dialysis services, continued campus improvements, physician recruitment, and expanded access through SSM Health.
Thurmer says the hospital’s legacy is ultimately built on its caregivers and volunteers. “Their compassion, skill, and devotion to serving friends, family, and neighbors are what make SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital exceptional,” she says.
