"Nurse Radin's Legacy of Caring"

Garnett L. Radin

The story of Indian River Memorial Hospital began with one young, dedicated nurse from Nebraska. Garnett L. Radin, R.N. moved to Vero Beach at age 29, and left a legacy that even she might not have been able to imagine.

With the closest hospital more than 70 miles away, Mrs. Radin saw a need. With her own $22,000, she purchased a hotel on Old Dixie Highway that had never opened due to the Great Florida Land Bust.

She converted the hotel into Indian River County's first hospital, and opened the original Indian River Memorial Hospital on May 12, 1932.

Since then, IRMH has moved several times, growing from the original 21-bed hospital to its present site with 335 beds.

Today, IRMH is ready to take another monumental step, one which nurse Radin would most certainly endorse whole-heartedly. IRMH is embarking on a multi-million dollar capital campaign to build a new, larger Emergency Services Pavilion, a centralized Outpatient Pavilion, a high-tech Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and, once approved by the state, a state-of-the-art Cardiac Surgery Center.

"IRMH is transitioning from an outstanding community hospital to a world-class community medical center," said Jeffrey Susi, hospital president and CEO. "This transition focuses on bringing what was once only done in major medical centers to the community setting. Together with our quality medical staff, we are looking forward to a very bright future for this institution and this community."

Much like Mrs. Radin's investment in our community more than 70 years ago, your generosity today will affect generations to come. Please consider joining the Indian River Hospital Foundation Legacy Society

by including the hospital in your will, trust or other estate plans. To learn more, please complete the enclosed form and return it to the Indian River Hospital Foundation.

Be a part of the IRMH story. Imagine the difference your gift can make.