INTEGRIS Blackwell Regional Hospital began in a two-story red brick building at 720 West College which served the people of Blackwell and surrounding area for 42 years. It was erected in 1909 as a girl’s dormitory for the then existing Baptist college. In 1912 the building was purchased at a sheriff’s sale by Drs. Gearhart, Lowery, Orvis and A.S. Risser. From 1914 to 1940 the hospital was operated by Dr. Risser. After renovation the facility was leased and operated as a corporate group until 1946.

Through the direction of Rev. Stephen Leven, attempts were made to contact a religious order of Catholic Sisters to undertake management of Blackwell General Hospital. The Felician Sisters of Lodi, New Jersey, accepted the ownership and management. During 1946 through 1952 several additional residences were purchased to serve as a Children’s Hospital Annex, a Sisters’ Convent and a school of Practical Nursing.

In January 1952, the commissioner of health, Dr. G. Matthews advised the Sisters that Federal Aid money from the Hill-Burton Act, would be granted to assist in the construction of a new hospital. A new hospital was needed that would meet state requirements on a fireproof building. A group of local citizens formed the Western Kay County Hospital Association, whose purpose was to direct local fund raising campaigns. Approximately $227,000 was raised by the association’s board of directors: Ray Hamlin, Phil McMullen, E.C. Graham, March Woodruff, W.M.Vickery, Howard Moss, O.A. Rafferty, and Jacob Ronck. The Felician Sisters financed one-half million dollars. Another $450,000 was contributed by the Oklahoma State Health Department administering federal funds from the Hill –Burton Act and the remaining one-half mission dollars was financed by the Felician Sister

On March 19, 1953, the ground-breaking ceremony on the present site of land donated by Dave Morgan marked the beginning of the building program. The four story concrete 64-bed hospital with an adjacent two-story convent and school of practical nursing were dedicated on February 27, 1955.

The school of practical nursing continued through September 1971, graduating over 400 practical nurses. In January 1975, Blackwell General Hospital underwent another transition as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wichita assumed management and ownership of the hospital from the Felician Sisters. Efforts by the Sisters of St. Joseph to consolidate inpatient care with Ponca City hospital and to offer only outpatient services in Blackwell were met with resistance by Blackwell citizens and on January 1, 1986, the Sisters donated the property, building and equipment to the Blackwell Hospital Trust Authority. Dr. Joe Ingram, President of the Baptist Health Care Corporation worked with the Hospital Trust Authority and citizens of Blackwell to establish the new entity and a lease was signed with Baptist Health Care Corporation to manage Blackwell Regional Hospital. The Hospital Governing Board members included Becky Hutton, Jim Roberts, Len Coffey, Eugene Braly, Jerry Johnston, Dr. Eugene Perry, Robert Shepherd, Roy Wile and Leonard White. Plans to remodel the hospital were shortly underway with revenue bonds totaling $4.5 million. Wilmot, Bower and Associates, Inc. architects in Austin, Texas and the construction company, Linbeck Corporation of Houston, Texas completed the remodel and expansion with a formal dedication on April 10, 1988.

INTEGRIS Blackwell Regional Hospital is owned by the City of Blackwell through the Blackwell Hospital Trust Authority and as of 1994 has been operated by Baptist Health care of Oklahoma, a corporation owned by INTEGRIS Health. In 1997, approximately $120,000 was raised with help from the INTEGRIS Foundation for the addition of two new LDRP (Labor, Delivery, Recovery, and Postpartum) rooms and the second floor patient care rooms were remodeled.