Butler County Health Care Center has been providing health care services to the residents of David City and the surrounding communities for over 40 years. The manner in which health care is delivered has changed significantly since the doors opened in 1973.

A county-wide bond issued for $1.3 million was passed in 1971. The hospital opened its doors November 3, 1973. At this time the north service wing encompassed surgical, X-ray, laboratory, obstetrical, physical therapy and emergency care services. The south service wing contained all the necessary support activities such as the boiler room, storage, incinerator, laundry, kitchen and dining spaces. The center section contained the administrative functions: business office, medical records, conference library, nurse’s station, staff offices and staff workrooms. There were three patient wings in the originally facility that consisted of 11 private rooms and 11 two-bed rooms, sun room, whirlpool bath and French shower for wheel chair patients. A nursery and two-bed intensive care ward were located by the nurse’s station. 

Butler County Health Care Center continually makes improvements to the facility, equipment and services in order to improve patient care. The board of directors takes pride in the fact that while the hospital is a county- owned facility, no tax dollars have been used on the hospital improvements.

Below are some of the major highlights of the facility over the course of 40 years.

• In 1987 a 5, 710 square-foot addition was built to house physical therapy and the Wellness Center. The original wellness center served as the first fitness center in David City.
• The Butler County Clinic was constructed in 1990. The clinic was built with 12 exam rooms each with two entrances (one for patient and one for the provider), x-ray room, lab area and business office space.
• In 1991 the renovation of the birthing area and recovery room was complete. This changed the labor and delivery room to a birthing room and created additional space for a recovery room for surgery patients.
• The outpatient department was expanded in 1995.  The new area included a private counseling area, waiting room area and two patient rooms.
• In 1999, an addition to the radiology department was constructed, adding a CT room, conference room and storage room to this department. An outpatient waiting room was also constructed to the northeast part of the facility at this time.

A facility master plan was created to convert the 1970’s inpatient hospital to a modern inpatient/ outpatient health care facility was created in 2002. The remaining projects listed below were all phases of this plan.

• A 6,000 square-foot expansion to the northeast part of the hospital began in 2004. This project was completed in 2005 resulting in: covered main entrance, private admission booths, two emergency rooms, eight outpatient recovery rooms, private birthing room and new nursery, outpatient specialty exam rooms and new spaces for respiratory therapy, laboratory, radiology and medical records.
• The Butler County Clinic addition and renovation was completed in 2007, creating an additional six exam rooms and more business office space. 
• In 2008 the board of directors approved the next phase of the master plan. This resulted in the renovation of the patient rooms to be made private, the addition of the south wing to house new patient rooms and larger sun room and remodeling of the business office, administration, kitchen and cafeteria. This was completed in 2009.
• Butler County Supervisors approved an $8 million bond issue in April of 2012 to help finance the $11 million addition and renovation project of the wellness center, therapy and surgery departments.
• In 2013 the last phase of the master plan is completed. The 10,000 square-foot wellness center and therapy department that features a 20-feet high glass wall and indoor walking track opened in January. The 3,500 square-foot surgical suite, complete with two operating rooms, a new recovery room, decontamination clean/sterile processing and staff locker rooms was completed in July. Upgrades to the mechanical systems area including a new boiler and chiller were completed as well.

Butler County Health Care Center has grown from a 37,142 square foot hospital to a 70,187 square feet hospital over the past 40 years. During the last year Butler County Health Care Center treated approximately 570 inpatients, 5,461 outpatients, had 1,250 emergency room visits and delivered 98 babies.