Newspaper Page Text
The ADVANCE, September 20, 2023/Page 2A
(Eift Aiiuancg
THE DR. JOHN M. MEADOWS MEMO!
J , VIDALIA, GEORGIA
, , balance sheet
^ JUNE 30, 1966
assets
GENERAL FUND:
Cash in Bank (Sch. No. 1)
Cash—Imprest Fund
Accounts and Notes Receivable
Less: Allowances for Uncollectibles
Inventory—Supplies (At Cost)
Prepaid Expenses:
Unexpired Insurance (bch. No.
Service Contract—Burroughs
Due from Hospital Authority
AUTHORITY FUND:
Equipment Fund
Cash—Peoples Bank
SPECIAL FUND:
Memorial Fund
Sabel Student Loan Fund
PLANT FUND ASSETS:
Land
Land Improvements
Building (At Cost) (Sch. No. 3)
Fixed Equipment (Sch. No. 3)
Major Movable Equipment (Sch. No. 3)
Minor Equipment
Total Plant Fund Assets
Less: Accumulated Depreciation
(Sch. No. 3)
INTANGIBLE ASSETS:
Organization Expense
Less: Accumulated Amortization
TOTAL ASSETS
Hospital
LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES
GENERAL FUND LIABILITES:
Accounts Payable
Other General Fund Liabilities
Accrued Payroll Taxes and
Withholding
PLANT FUNDS:
Balance, July 1, 1965
Grant from Government
Agencies (Sch. No. 4)
Interest Income
Sub-Total
Less: Interest Expense
Sub-Total
Less:
Net Loss from Operations:
Balance, July 1, 1965 $77,111.0,
Net Loss from Operations,
Julv 1, 1965, through
June 30, 1966 (Exh. “B”) 25,101.6
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITIES
Meadows
continued from page 1A
a motion, and it was sec
onded by Doyle NeSmith,
to request that the Geor-
kes site located between
highways 280 and 292,
which later be-
Community leaders
decided that it was r
in the best interest
to consider taking
advantage of these
federal funds made
available through the
Hill-Burton Act. At
that time a sole com
missioner, Ross P.
Bowen, managed the
county.
According to the
regulations of the Hill-
Burton Act, a Hospital
Authority had to be
in place to qualify for
the funding. There
fore, the local Hospital
Authority was formed
with John C. Meadows
as Chairman, W. Doyle
NeSmith as Vice Chair
man, Homer Vandiver
as Secretary, and J.C.
Wilkes as Treasurer. The
first meeting of the Hos
pital Authority was held
on May 9, 1960. A Site
Selection Committee
was appointed and con
sisted of Jule Matheson,
Hunter Morris, Paul Tip
pett, Ross Bowen, and
Ed McNatt.
A Publicity Commit
tee consisting of Homer
S. Vandiver as Chairman,
Jule Matheson as Vice
Chairman, Sid Newton,
and Paul Tippett was es
tablished to promote the
idea of having a commu
nity hospital and garner
support for the project.
All advertising expenses
used to promote the proj
ect were paid out of the
pockets of the committee
members.
The Site Selection
Committee of the Hospi
tal Authority began look
ing for potential sites for
the new hospital and the
county held a referendum
on the issue of having a
Hill-Burton Hospital. Sid
Newton of the newly ap
pointed Committee, made
gia State Engineer at
the time, James M. Sitton,
evaluate the viability of
several sites, including the
Meadows site, the Vida-
lia Ballpark site, the Vida-
lia Airport site, the James
Musgrove site, the Mose
Coleman site and the Wil-
came the location of the
new Hospital built in 2010.
Drs. Gross, Mercer,
Connor, Bedingfield, Ai
ken, Youmans, and Whittle
pinned a letter to state of
ficials indicating that they
did not plan to support a
Hill-Burton Hospital in
Toombs
County.
A proposal
was made by the
Hospital Author
ity to buy out the
local physician-
owned hospitals
to provide them
financial relief
for the revenues
they would lose
due to the open
ing of a commu
nity hospital.
The Letter
The loca
tion of the new
hospital became
a hot topic in
the year 1960.
There was plenty
of politicking on each side
as to where the new hospi
tal should be located. Then
along came a letter from a
former Vidalia citizen who
had gone to Texas to seek
his fortune.
That Vidalia native, Al-
gur Hurtle Meadows, built
billion dollar fortune
when he and two friends
founded the immensely
successful General Ameri
can Oil Company in Dal
las, Texas. The partners
bought leases on potential
oil well sites that began
gushing black gold and
overnight became a huge
financial success.
Upon his death, his
fortune would fund a
foundation for charitable
purposes to be expended
only in the state of Texas.
However, because of his
connections with Vidalia, a
letter from Mr. A.H. Mead
ows to Hospital Authority
Chairman John Meadows
stated, “I see from the Vi
dalia paper that you have
been appointed to the
Hospital Board of Toombs
County. I also see there is
some controversy as to the
location.”
Mr. Meadows further
indicated that if Toombs
coun
ty would approve a
$150,000 bond issue, he
would match $150,000
plus contribute 20 acres of
land in his family’s newly
developed subdivision
known as Meadows Estates
Subdivision.
At that time the piece
of land consisted of a pecan
orchard and a few houses
in the center of Vidalia.
Meadows further stipulat
ed that the hospital would
be named for his father, Dr.
John M. Meadows, who
was generally believed to
be the first physician to
practice in Toombs Coun
ty. Therefore, the Hospital
Authority agreed and origi
nal name of the hospital
was The Dr. John M. Mead
ows Memorial Hospital.
The original funding
would be secured through
federal and state grants
Please see Meadows
page 3A
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