Carbondale Reporter

The idea of the Marshall Browning Hospital began on Jan. 14, 1918, after Lillie Browning donated part of her estate to create the public hospital; it opened its doors on Jul. 20, 1922.

A century later, the hospital is still running and has garnered various awards for its services.

“They are celebrating their 100th anniversary,” Republican Senator Terri Bryant wrote on Facebook.

Perry County Weekly-Press reported the hospital hosted a celebration that had BBQs, music and displays of the hospital’s growth.

“As I continue to tell the staff, we’re not done yet,” Interim CEO Dan Evans said to Perry County Weekly-Press. “We have big plans for the future of Marshall Browning Hospital.”

The hospital celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sept. 18, with a full slate of activities. Music, food, displays of a firetruck, Arch helicopter and ambulance were available for people to learn about.

Perry County Weekly-Press reported it cost approximately $175,000 to build the hospital in the 1920s.

“The building was razed in 2010 and over the years has been replaced with a modern hospital, an urgent care clinic, rehabilitation center and senior living apartments,” Perry County Weekly-Press wrote. “When this building was taken down, some of its balustrades atop the bundling were saved, at the request of Du Quoin Tourism. In 2015, those balustrades were used in the surround of the Central Plaza-East on Main Street in downtown Du Quoin.”

In December 2021, the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network named Marshall Browning Hospital in the top 10% of critical access hospitals in the nation.

Today, the hospital offers over 10 services. It has a laboratory, physical therapy, a sleep lab and sports medicine.

In the June 28, 2022 election, Bryant ran unopposed in her efforts to serve the residents of District 58. Her party’s Illinois gubernatorial candidate, Darren Bailey, has made headlines for making controversial comments in a leaked 2017 video and after a mass shooting event in Parkland in July.