On June 23 Riverview Regional Medical Center will hold a Cross Rededication Ceremony from 2 p.m.to 4 p.m. to celebrate the unveiling of a new, more efficient cross that will replace the existing one that is need of repair.
The cross located atop of Riverview Regional has always been a prominent symbol of Gadsden and has offered a sense of hope to the community for many years. The hospital’s current leadership realizes and appreciates the importance of this tradition in Gadsden and is honored to maintain it. This is just one of the many things that make Riverview Regional Medical Center full of rich history and tradition, according to Riverview Marketing Director Marcy Gregerson.
The history of Riverview Regional Medical Center dates back to 1925. Originally named Holy Name of Jesus Hospital, Riverview was founded by the Sisters of the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity, a Catholic order established in Opelika, Ala. in the 1900s. It began in the 25-bed Gadsden General Hospital on Chestnut Street.
The hospital grew under the leadership of its founders, Father Thomas A. Judge and Mother Mary Boniface Keasey. In 1931, a 120-bed hospital was built on land purchased by the Moragne family.
The hospital expanded to 281 beds during the 1960s and 1970s and continued to flourish. Ownership was transferred to Health Management Associates in 1991. The name was eventually changed to Riverview Regional Medical Center.
The Cross Rededication Ceremony will be held on the first floor in Riverview’s cafeteria. Sisters of the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity will be in attendance along with other special guests. The original cross will be on display among other memorabilia.
“The original cross is actually made up of two pieces back to back,” said Riverview Regional Medical Center CEO Jim Edmondson. “We hope to keep one on display at our hospital while housing the other in a prominent place within the community.”
“We will definitely be keeping in tradition with the original color of green that so many have come to recognize.”
All members of the community are invited to attend this event that signifies just one of the many positive changes that are taking place at Riverview Regional Medical Center.