HOSPITALS
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY NORRIE NEFF
This aerial, taken by Clyde Coutant around 1949, shows Martin County
Hospital, the nurses’ residence and a three-car garage, all constructed in
1939. Part of the original hospital still stands within the modern Martin
Health facility, located on Hospital Avenue in Stuart.
When the U.S. entered World War II a year later, Dr. Walter
Davey, an Army Reserve officer when he joined the staff in
September 1939, was called to duty in the Pacific. That left
beloved and overworked Dr. Julian Parker. Dr. Floyd B. Eurit,
though on the hospital’s governing board, was in his late 70s
and no longer practicing medicine.
When the war ended, Davey returned and the hospital
began to grow and modernize.
Martin Health has had continuity of leadership. Guy
Cromwell became administrator in 1961 and remained at
the helm for the next 28 years. During his tenure, the name
was changed from Martin County Hospital to Martin Memorial
Hospital. In 1963, the hospital was expanded to 78 beds.
In 1970, a new wing was added and the bed count jumped
to 120. A six-story tower now called the Edward and Joan
McGowan Pavilion was completed in 1975. During this time
most of the original hospital, now called the Barstow/Reed
wing, remained within the growing complex.
When Guy Cromwell retired in 1989, Richmond Harman,
a 14-year hospital employee, replaced him as chief executive
officer. His time at the helm was one of expansion. Martin
Memorial Hospital in Stuart was expanded to 12 facilities in
Martin and St. Lucie counties. When Harman retired in 2008,
he had been at Martin Memorial for 33 years, 19 years as CEO.
When Mark Robitaille became CEO, he already had 20 years
of experience with the hospital. After he took the reins, the
name was changed to Martin Health System to better convey
a multifaceted but unified medical organization with numerous
locations. Expansion and perfection of service continues
under Robitaille’s leadership. >>
There have only been three CEOs of what is now Martin Health since
1961. Guy Cromwell served from 1961 until 1989; Richmond Harman
served from 1989 until 2008; Mark Robitaille has been CEO since 2008.
MARTIN HEALTH SYSTEM
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