The History of OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center
In May 1895, Judge Solomon H. Bethea purchased the land for the building of a hospital to honor the memory of his wife, Katherine Shaw Bethea. During her short lifetime, she wanted very much to establish a hospital for Dixon. The hospital was called Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital or KSB Hospital. In 2025, KSB joined OSF HealthCare and was renamed OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center.
The Beginning
1895: Soloman Hicks Bethea purchased land for $3,500 and gave it to the city of Dixon for the establishment of a hospital in memory of his wife, Katherine Shaw Bethea.
1895: The city council passed an ordinance to establish and maintain a hospital for the use and benefit of the citizens of Dixon.
1896: A fundraising campaign began for a public hospital in Dixon.
1896: The Dixon Public Hospital was erected at the cost of $7,250, providing 17 beds and facilities for medical, surgical and obstetrical cases.
1897: The Dixon Public Hospital opened.
1899: The Dixon Training School for Nurses was incorporated.
Early 1900s
1909: Judge Soloman H. Bethea bequeathed his 700-acre farmlands in Palmyra to the hospital as an endowment.
1913: Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital (KSB Hospital) added a third story to the south wing of the original building, bringing the bed capacity to 40. This was made possible by the bequest of Elizabeth Shaw, sister of Katherine Shaw Bethea.
1925: The KSB Hospital Nurses Home was built at a cost of $38,000. The new home provided housing for 25 nurses.
1926: A $47,000 addition to the north side of KSB Hospital added 15 rooms, enlarging the hospital to a 60-bed capacity.
1940s – 1960s
1942: A cornerstone was laid for a new, $130,000 addition to KSB Hospital
1957: A $750,000 hospital fundraising campaign was launched to finance a portion of an expansion project.
1960: A $1.25 million expansion was completed; providing 44 beds, central supply, laboratory, X-ray, operating rooms, recovery rooms, kitchen, dining and laundry.
1967: The KSB School of Nursing closed.
1970s
1970: A $2.5 million addition increased the hospital capacity by 80 beds and allowed for the remodeling of the 1941 building.
1971: KSB Hospital began 24-hour emergency room services.
1972: A seven-bed Intensive Care Unit was opened.
1972: The KSB Hospital board sold the 698-acre Bethea farm in Palmyra
1975: Plans were announced for expansion to upgrade and increase the diagnostic X-ray facilities.
1976: KSB Hospital established a home care service.
1977: The newly completed $2 million Medical Arts Clinic opened.
1978: KBS Hospital opened a 17-bed inpatient psychiatric unit.
1980s
1982: A CT scanner was installed.
1982: The newly completed heliport, paid for by the auxiliary, became operational.
1984: The cafeteria became available to the elderly on weekends and holidays to make sure senior citizens had access to nutritious meals when other community services were closed.
1988: KSB Hospital purchased Commerce Towers and added a walkway over Crawford Street to connect the building to the hospital.
1989: A new emergency room was completed that included four treatment bays, two trauma bays, an X-ray room and two ambulance stalls.
1990s
1992: The 7,500-square-foot Holly and Avis Campbell Surgical Wing and a heliport were added to KSB Hospital.
1996: KSB Hospital opened its first outpatient facility in Oregon, Illinois, at the corner of Route 64 and West Wahington Street.
1997: KSB celebrated 100 years of serving the community.
1998: A ribbon cutting was held for The Recovery Center located at 735 N. Galena Road in Dixon.
2000s
2011: An open house was held for the $16 million expansion of Outpatient Surgery and the Emergency Department.
2024: OSF HealthCare announced a merger with Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital.
2025: KSB Hospital joined the OSF HealthCare Family as OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center.
2025: A special Mass and blessing were held for the new chapel.