Our History

Our Beginnings

In 1906, Springfield needed a place to care for its sick, and Ellen Burge had a home to give. She donated her duplex on Jefferson Avenue, and on Thanksgiving Day, Burge Deaconess Hospital opened its doors. Patients filled it almost right away. Ellen kept going. She bought the lot next door, helped fund a three-story brick hospital two years later, and served as board president for the rest of her life. More than a century later, her generosity still guides how we care for this community.

Founding and Early Years

1906-1924

In 1906, Springfield resident Ellen Burge donated her Jefferson Avenue duplex to start what became Burge Deaconess Hospital. The hospital grew fast. Within two years it added a new building, and in 1907 the Burge Hospital School for Nurses opened, planting the seeds for what's now Cox College. By 1924, a local Methodist body took over the hospital's care, setting the stage for the growth still to come.

A historic photo of Burge Deaconess Hospital

Recovery and Growth

1948-1966

Burge Hospital hit a low point in 1948, when the nursing school closed and the hospital nearly did too. Lester E. Cox stepped in to lead capital campaigns that funded two decades of recovery: new wings, a growing bed count, and a nursing school that reopened by 1951. Through it all, Burge became a key local resource for treating polio patients. Steady leadership carried the hospital through this era, from Horace Burgin's appointment in 1949 through Neil Wortley's return in 1965.

Renaming and Expansion

1969-1986

In 1969, the hospital took Lester E. Cox's name in honor of the man who helped save it. Growth continued under his son, Lester L. "Bud" Cox, and longtime administrator Neil Wortley. In 1971, Cox Medical Center launched a mobile coronary care unit, one of the first in the country, and the nursing school earned national accreditation and became co-ed. A 10-story Medical Tower for physician offices followed in 1974. In 1985, the 10-story Cox Medical Center South was dedicated, Charles Edwards became executive administrator, and Wortley moved into a fundraising role. The next year, Cox became southwest Missouri's first Children's Miracle Network hospital, teaming up with KY3 to broadcast a live telethon from Cox South.

Modernization

2001-2008

The 2000s brought new buildings, new services and several firsts for the region. We shortened our name to CoxHealth in 2002, and in 2003 the Meyer Center for Wellness and Rehabilitation opened as southwest Missouri's first medically based wellness and rehab center. Larry Wallis retired in 2004, Robert Bezanson became president and CEO, and the Martin Center for Diagnostic and Imaging Services opened. In 2006, the Turner Center became home to women's and children's services, including Springfield's first urgent care clinic just for kids, and we celebrated 100 years of caring for the Ozarks. The Wheeler Heart and Vascular Center held its grand opening in 2007. In 2008, our physicians performed southwest Missouri's first robotic surgery, and the nursing school became Cox College.

CoxHealth hospital with curved glass entrance, surrounding parking lot, trees, and blue sky.

System Expansion

2009-2019

The 2010s were a decade of growth across the region. In 2009, we broke ground on a new Emergency Department that tripled our bed count. Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital opened in 2010, and our partnership with Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute brought 80 more people to the CoxHealth team. Steve Edwards became president and CEO in 2012. In 2013, we opened the area's first Obstetrical Emergency Department and partnered with Skaggs Regional Medical Center, which became Cox Medical Center Branson. 2015 brought the Dee Ann White Women's and Children's Hospital, the Jared Neuroscience Center, the Springfield area's first High Risk Breast Clinic, and the Springfield Center for Dyslexia and Learning. We launched our Advanced Practice Paramedic program in 2016 to support patients after they go home, and opened a Monett urgent care clinic in 2017. In 2018, Cox Barton County Hospital in Lamar became our sixth hospital. In 2019, we formed CoxHealth at Home and broke ground on a new Cox Monett Hospital.

Change and Continued Growth

2022-2026

Max Buetow became president and CEO in 2022. In 2023, we teamed up with Missouri State University, Ozarks Technical Community College and Springfield Public Schools to form the Alliance for Healthcare Education, which helps grow the region's health care workforce. In 2026, we're bringing more care closer to home. St. Louis Children's Hospital at CoxHealth opened a pediatric hospital in Springfield, and we partnered with Select Medical on a new inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Ozark. We also moved to a new electronic health record system and introduced MyChart, so patients can manage their health care online.

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