Orange General Hospital - Orlando Memory

Prior to 1916 Orlando had no large full-service hospital. On May 24, 1916, construction on the four-story brick Orange General Hospital commenced. After a freeze destroy the citrus crops in 1917 and a railroad strike in 1918 delayed delivery of construction materials, the hospital directors decided to open the two complete floors of the original wing, providing 50 beds.

Just five years after the Orange General Hospital opened in 1918 to serve locals and Orlando’s many Winter guests, a flowery article published in the 1923 Midsummer edition of the new Orlando Magazine described in detail the hospital, the medical staff and the nurses’ home across the street. It also lists the board members who made the construction and operation of the hospital possible.

A rare mention of the hospital ward for African-American patients and medical staff is also mentioned in the three-page feature.

The colored wards and the half dozen private rooms for colored persons, have the same careful regulations, skill and care that every department has, and the colored nurses work under a colored graduate, supervised by the Superintendent and selected nurses…”

Orange General Hospital postcard circa 1923.

To honor those brave souls who perished in the two world wars, the name of the hospital was change to Orange Memorial Hospital in the 1940s. After acquisition of the old Holiday Hospital and the construction of additional buildings, the hospital became the Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Orange Memorial Hospital postcard circa early 1960s. The original Orange General Hospital is on the far left.

The Orange County Regional History Center provides a condensed history of the hospital through the years in their post “Orlando’s First Hospital and the Rivalry That Transformed a Community,” including photos of a capping ceremony in the nurses’ home.

There were surely thousands of medical team members who cared for the people of Central Florida, at Orange General and Orange Memorial through the years, but one stands out among the rest for having touched the lives thousands of families.

Lela Mae Stokes, affectionately called “Ma” Stokes, served for 43 years at Orange General Hospital assisting doctors in their delivery of over 40,000 babies, many 3rd generation Orlando citizens. She began her career as a nursing student at Orange Memorial on November 16, 1925 and remained until her retirement in 1968.

An article was published in 1994 in the Orlando Sentinel as the old Orange General Hospital was being torn down.

“When Orange General Hospital opened in 1918 it was the first full service hospital in the county. It had 50 rooms and the most modern equipment available. Although many people believe it is a city or county facility, the hospital has always been a private not-for-profit hospital. It changed its name to Orange Memorial in the 1940s in honor of those killed in the world wars. In 1976 it became Orlando Regional Medical Center after acquiring another hospital (Holiday Hospital). Today the main hospital has 600 beds. The original part of the hospital has undergone dozens of renovations and additions over the years and only a small part of the original hospital was still visible. Now, to meet new standards, the original structure is being torn down and will be replaced by a new wing.”