Doctors Hospital of Manteca recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. The hospital opened its doors on Feb. 26, 1962, and has cared for the community since that day.

The milestone was celebrated with a special event with hospital leadership, local dignitaries, longtime physicians and employees, and members of the volunteer auxiliary in attendance.

The event began with remarks from Chief Executive Officer Eleze Armstrong, as well as a round of applause for the frontline staff who care for patients 24/7 and a moment of silence to honor the lives lost to COVID-19.

The program continued with a look back at the history of Doctors Hospital of Manteca and what’s to come in the future. In addition, several longtime physicians and employees were recognized.

Dr. Karl Wolf – Serving patients since 1973;

Dr. Howard Miller – Serving patients since 1977;

Dr. Anil Sain – Serving patients since 1978;

Dr. Craig Bobson – Serving patients since 1985;

Dr. George Scott – Serving patients since 1985;

Michael Brown – 45 years of service; hired in September 1976;

Julie Taylor – 42 years of service; hired in March 1980;

Connie Rocha – 41 years of service; hired in September 1980;

Lisa Hoag – 37 years of service; hired in July 1984;

Donna Nicholas – 37 years of service; hired in July 1984.

The event also recognized volunteer auxiliary members. The Doctors Hospital of Manteca Volunteer Auxiliary was organized in November of 1962 by a group of women willing to volunteer time and service to patients and the hospital. Since that date, the women and men of the auxiliary have completed an admirable record of service, contributing thousands of hours each year to the welfare of our patients, visitors and employees.

Doctors Hospital of Manteca is deeply rooted in the community. It can trace its roots back to 1955 when Manteca civic leaders wanted a top-notch hospital in the community to eliminate the need to travel to Stockton or beyond for medical care. Ground was broken on Aug. 2, 1961, for an 11,000 sq. ft. hospital costing $355,000.

The doors opened on Feb. 26, 1962, licensed for 25 beds as a general acute care facility. There were 41 employees and seven physicians. Now, there are more than 525 employees and more than 200 physicians on the medical staff.

Eual Baker was the Administrator when the hospital opened. The first patient treated at DHM was Hugo DeGraff. The first baby born was to Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Limas on Feb. 28, 1962.

Over the years, the hospital has continued to grow, add services, and invest in state-of-the-art technologies to provide high levels of care. Doctors Hospital of Manteca went from 49 beds to 73 beds in 1988 by adding the second floor that currently houses the med/surg/telemetry unit.

In the last decade, the hospital has added to its outpatient footprint by opening an ambulatory surgery center, outpatient imaging center, and a multi-specialty center that includes wound care services.

The next large project will be breaking ground on 30,000 square feet of medical office space located directly across the parking lot from the hospital. This project will allow for growth of medical services and officials anticipate the completion of construction sometime in 2023.