IU Health Tipton Hospital

09/04/2025

In 1950, 10-year-old Stephen Collins walked into the Tipton County Memorial Hospital Emergency department with a finger injury and became our very first outpatient.

Today, at 85, he still lives in Tipton County, where he raised his family. All three of his children were born at Tipton Hospital, and his daughter later became a nurse here.

Over the years, Collins’ care has often come from physicians who were also close friends, making each visit even more personal.

Even now, as he splits his time between Indiana and Florida, he still prefers to return to Tipton for his care.

“We wouldn’t even think of going someplace else,” Collins says.

Read more about Collins and his life and legacy in the Tipton community. ⬇️

Stephen Collins was just 10 years old when he became part of local history. Decades later, his connection to the hospital and the community remains strong.

09/02/2025

From crisp nurse uniforms and classic lab coats to decade-themed dress-up days, Tipton Hospital has seen it all. As we celebrate 75 years of care, we’re also celebrating the styles that came along for the ride.

This photo collection is a joyful look back at the fashion, flair and fun that have defined us through the decades.

Take a scroll through the years, enjoy the evolution of style at Tipton Hospital and share your own fabulous throwback photos in the comments!

08/27/2025

When Tipton Hospital opened in 1950, “state-of-the-art” meant air-conditioned surgical suites, a portable X-ray machine and non-exploding lightbulbs.

Fast forward 75 years, and we’ve come a long way:

📅 In the 1980s, chemotherapy was just beginning to change cancer care.
📅 In the ‘90s, laparoscopic surgery meant fewer stitches and faster healing.
📅 In the 2000s, advanced breast cancer screening became part of local care.
📅 In 2009, GPS-guided knee replacements helped patients get back on their feet faster.

And today? We have WALDO, our robotic runner, zipping through the halls and delivering supplies so our team can spend more time with patients.

It’s amazing how many once-groundbreaking tools are now just part of the everyday—and even things we take for granted. As technology continues to evolve, so will we—always with you, our community, in mind.

08/20/2025

As we mark our 75th anniversary this October, we want to hear from you!

Whether you’re a patient who experienced compassionate care, a team member who made a difference or someone whose life was touched by the hospital in a meaningful way, we invite you to share your memories.

Share a story or photo in the comments and help us celebrate the people, the care and the moments that make our hospital—and our community—so special.

08/19/2025

The Service Stars program celebrates IU Health team members who give back through service. Twice a year, honorees are chosen at random from a pool of eligible team members. In recognition of their efforts, each Service Star selects a local nonprofit organization to receive a $500 donation from IU Health in their honor.

IU Health Tipton’s Service Star is Jean-Marie Burrell, a member of the radiology team. Burrell selected Encore Lifestyle and Enrichment Center to receive the $500 donation.

Encore provides programs and services that promote healthy aging and social connection among older adults in the community. The center strives to enhance residents’ quality of life and meet the evolving needs of the Tipton County community. Services provided include fitness classes, transportation, social engagement, meal services and more.

08/14/2025

Closing out the week with the story of the “short-circuit” baby!

Back in 1960, a citywide power outage brought Tipton to a standstill, but it didn’t stop our incredible team members from doing what they do best.

With no backup generator and only a flashlight to light the way, our dedicated team safely delivered a healthy 7-pound, 7-ounce baby girl.

08/13/2025

Digging into Tipton Hospital’s history has revealed that some of its most unforgettable arrivals didn’t take place in the delivery room.

On a snowy December day in 1958, a newborn boy was found abandoned in a car in the hospital parking lot by visitor Phagan Carmichael. Wrapped in a blanket with $50 pinned to it, “Baby Doe” was estimated to be around 10 days old.

After an unsuccessful search for the newborn’s mother, Carmichael and her husband Lloyd, who were unable to have children of their own, ultimately adopted the baby and named him Ned.

08/12/2025

As we continue looking back at memorable moments from Tipton Hospital’s history, we’re spotlighting another story from our early years.

In 1958, Judy McKinney gave birth to the first of her twin sons, Thomas Harvey McKinney, at 2:45 p.m.

She expected to meet his twin brother within a few minutes, but Ted Andrew had other plans. He made his grand entrance a full 28 hours and 21 minutes later, at 7:06 p.m. the next day.

When asked which day would be used to celebrate the twins’ birthday, Judy smiled and said, “I suppose we will observe both days, but we don’t know yet. Maybe we will let Thomas have a choice since he is older.”

08/11/2025

Get ready, Tipton—it’s time for our first story from the archives! As we celebrate 75 years of caring for our community, we are taking a look back at some memorable milestones over the years.

In 1950, Tipton welcomed two newcomers: a hospital built to care for the community and the first baby born within its walls.

On November 30, John Edward Tebbe was born to Ed and Juanita Tebbe, weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces.

As the first newborn delivered at the hospital, John’s arrival was more than a milestone for the Tebbe family—it marked the beginning of Tipton Hospital’s deep connection to the community we were built to serve.

Stay tuned! We’ll be sharing more stories from our history, including more about the hospital’s first heartbeats, in the coming weeks.

07/31/2025

Nearly 75 years ago, in October 1950, IU Health Tipton Hospital opened its doors as Tipton County Memorial Hospital.

When Mary Smith arrived for a tonsillectomy, she became the hospital’s first patient. An article published in 1950 in The Indianapolis Star describes the gravity of that moment: “Simply by undergoing an operation at a certain time at a certain place Mrs. Smith became the living symbol of a community dream come true, marking a milestone in the lives of 16,000 Tipton County residents as well as in her own life.”

75 years later, one thing remains the same: a commitment to providing the Tipton community with quality care, close to home.

The celebration of this important milestone is just getting started. Stay tuned for more stories from the archive and opportunities to share your own memories.

07/28/2025

On Monday, July 7, our team members rolled up their sleeves to help neighbors in need at Laundry Lift, a program offering free laundry services to anyone in the Tipton community.

Partnering with Firefly Children and Family Alliance, which supplied laundry soap, IU Health Tipton Hospital provided quarters for the machines at the laundromat and distributed household cleaning kits for participating families to take home. Each kit included essentials like microfiber cleaning cloths, dish sponges, dish soap and multi-purpose cleaners—helping families extend the clean beyond laundry day.

Together, we served 32 families with 33 washer loads, 43 dryer loads and 29 cleaning kits.

07/24/2025

Behind the scenes at IU Health, our document management and regulatory teams work tirelessly to keep quality care front and center.

Document Management Specialist Brianna Lerch keeps thousands of policies and procedures up to date and accessible. “Policies are a resource just as much as they are a high-level standard,” she says. “They outline the steps for team members to do their jobs well, from patient care to [time-off] requests.”

Peter Hemmerling, accreditation and regulatory consultant, describes his role as IU Health’s “regulatory Jiminy Cricket,” helping our team understand “what we need to do and how to do it safely.”

Their work ensures continuous readiness. “We don’t want to sprint to prepare at the last minute, we want to be ready all the time,” Hemmerling says.

“Without document management, it would be like trying to run a hospital without a map,” he adds. “And without regulatory support, that map wouldn’t have the rules that keep us pointed in the right direction.”

Their behind-the-scenes efforts help keep patients safe and operations running smoothly every day.