Forty years ago, Georgetown’s only hospital was established by a group of local doctors who saw a need in the community. Today, medical professionals at St. David’s Georgetown Hospital say they work to balance a high level of care while maintaining a sense of community. Drs. Alan Barr, J. Frank Clark and H.R. Gaddy established the Georgetown Hospital in 1947. In the late 1960s, three local physicians purchased 300 acres on Scenic Drive and donated the land for a new site for the hospital as it continued to expand. Still short on money, the owners garnered community support through levying taxes and fundraising $350,000 to help establish the hospital, which opened in 1979. It is this history that Hugh Brown, CEO of St. David’s Georgetown Hospital, said separates the hospital from others in the area. “St. David’s Georgetown Hospital is the only hospital in Georgetown, and it was built and funded initially by the citizens of Georgetown,” Brown said. “It’s quite a legacy of commitment to the community we have.” The hospital is a Level IV trauma center with 114 beds, an intensive care unit and a primary stroke service, which allows it to identify and treat strokes immediately. The hospital also offers inpatient and outpatient surgery, acute inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient therapy, among other services. In addition to providing care, the hospital has been able to find unique ways to support the Georgetown community through the St. David’s HealthCare network, Brown said. When St. David’s acquired Georgetown Hospital in 2006, it gave a 1% ownership share back to the Georgetown community through the establishment of the Georgetown Health Foundation. Since the hospital was founded and funded in part by the community throughout its history, Brown said the hospital’s board believed it belonged to the community. Profits made by all of the St. David’s hospitals help fund the foundation, which in turn awards grants to programs that promote health in the community. “[St. David’s Georgetown Hospital is] valuable because we not only provide exceptional care to our patients, but also our success translates back into more help for the community through the Georgetown Health Foundation,” Brown said. Brown added that through the St. David’s partnership, the Georgetown hospital is able to provide quality care while also establishing relationships with patients as the physicians live and work in the community. “When you’re part of a community, you adopt the personality of the community, and Georgetown is a very proud community,” Brown said.