Essentia Health-Holy Trinity Hospital has a long history of serving the area.

History Timeline

1900 | Graceville’s first hospital is organized by Dr. Benjamin M. Randall and Dr. A. R. Pollack. Three patient beds and an operating room are in a small home owned by Miss Jennie Cauley.
1907 | Dr. C.I. Oliver buys the Nellie Carron house and remodels it into a hospital with seven patient beds and an operating room.
1914 | Western Minnesota Hospital is built on extensive grounds near the edge of Lake Toqua. The 20-bed hospital includes a school of nursing.
1925 | A new wing is added to the hospital, adding 15 patient beds and a nurses’ home for 16 resident nurses.
1935 | Western Minnesota Hospital is incorporated as West Central Minnesota Hospital.
1945 | West Central Minnesota Hospital is purchased by the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Norfolk, NE, and incorporated as Holy Trinity Hospital.
1965 | A new 40-bed hospital is constructed, adjoining the old building to the south. The project is financed by Hill-Burton Act funds, donations, and pledges. Many volunteers contribute time and labor, assisting in various ways such as loading and transporting bricks from the railroad to the construction site. Following the opening of the new hospital, the old hospital continues to provide space for a convent, staff offices and meeting rooms. A large portion of the building is converted to a residence for elderly people and becomes known as Holy Trinity Home. The first-floor wing is remodeled into a chapel.
1972 | A convent is built for the Benedictine Sisters, west of the old hospital building.
1976 | The city of Graceville builds a nursing home called Grace Home. After the residents from Holy Trinity Home transfer to Grace Home, the second floor of the old building is converted to a board and lodging facility for chemically dependent citizens. Offices for outreach mental health services provided by West Central Community Service Center are also located in the old building. An addition is constructed to house a detoxification program known as Graceville Receiving Center.
1981 | Remodeling is done to provide space for a dental clinic on the first floor. After the detox program closes out, the vacated space becomes a clinic for private practice. This space later houses the Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop.
1984 | Construction of a new addition to the south of Holy Trinity Hospital begins. The new addition better enables the hospital to offer outpatient services by providing a new emergency room, facilities for physical therapy, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, patient exams, treatment, chapel and meditation room, lab expansion, and offices.
2002 | The decision is made to withdraw the Missionary Benedictine Sisters from three hospitals within 10 years. The main reason for the decision is that the Sisters, who are all based in a motherhouse in Norfolk, NE, are aging and there are fewer candidates with health care backgrounds entering their community.
2003 | The old hospital building is demolished. The site provides needed parking space for employees.
2010 | Holy Trinity joins the Essentia Health family.
2011 | The Missionary Benedictine Sisters begin a gradual withdrawal, ending a 67-year history of bringing their healing ministry to the community.