My, what a difference 50 years make.

A half-century ago, we were one building, offered basic services and had a staff of fewer than 200.

Today, we’re a sprawling medical center campus offering high-quality services in dozens of areas and some of the latest technology available, with a staff of more than 2,000 people.

It’s doubtful anyone would have predicted our growth in the early 1940s when a Baptist hospital in Lexington was little more than a dream of a small group of Baptist leaders. The original fund-raising goal was $1.5 million, which later was increased to $2.5 million. Rallies, door-to-door campaigns and Sunday School collections (attendees were asked to give 10 cents each week) added to the coffers, but progress was slow.

In 1946, a seven and a half-acre hospital site was purchased, although many had their doubts about the location. "When the hospital was built, people thought it was too far out of town," said William G. Sisson, president/CEO.

Ground was broken in 1948, and the foundation, basement and footing were finished. Construction took six years, with stops and starts along the way due to funding hurdles. Progress seemed particularly slow to those watching with anticipation. "We finally got to the place where we had the property, and construction was started. I remember looking at the scaffolding and wondering whether we would ever have a hospital," said Sally Deen, the first president of the hospital’s auxiliary.

After years of discussions, finally, in 1950, the hospital board of trustees appealed to the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky, the Baptists’ statewide organization. Although the association pledged 1 percent of its cooperative fund to help construct the hospital, it wasn’t enough. In 1951, the hospital commission was created, with the local project formally becoming a part of a statewide effort. That’s when the hospital began taking shape.

Finally, on May 9, 1954, the towering H-shaped structure with an expansive lawn and massive columns and stairs leading up to the entrance was dedicated. Hundreds of people gathered on the lawn for a celebration. Balloons containing the hospital’s keys were released to signify the hospital’s "ever open" door policy.

Central Baptist opened as a 45- to 50-bed hospital, with only the main floor in use. Gradually, the remainder of the 108,000-square-foot building opened. When in full operation, the hospital contained 173 general beds, 25 bassinets, five operating rooms and two delivery rooms. The final construction cost was $2.6 million. Just a few minutes after the doors opened, we admitted our first patient, and the first baby was born just an hour and 51 minutes into the Central Baptist era.

Expansion began soon after the opening, with the addition of one of the nation’s first intensive care units in 1957, followed by 1965’s addition of 62 beds and a new emergency department. Expansion and renovation have continued steadily, with another major expansion in the early 1970s, followed by the completion of the obstetrics wing at the front of the hospital in 1977. In the mid-80s, construction was completed on a major expansion – 70 new beds, 14 surgery suites, an outpatient care center and new emergency and registration areas. In 2000, Central Baptist opened a 240,000-square-foot medical facility housing the Baptist-Physicians’ Surgery Center, the Baptist Heart Institute, the Cancer Care Center, cardiac cath labs and medical office space.

An advertisement in a Herald-Leader supplement marking the occasion of the hospital’s dedication in 1954 included these prophetic words, "This is a beginning of a new era in Lexington. Here new generations will be born … here lives will be saved and given increased usefulness … here men and women and children will find answers to their prayers."