Our Irving hospital’s story began with the planning of a small group of dedicated civic leaders in the late 1950s. Armed with needs analysis data, they created the plan for a hospital to serve the people of Irving, which was one of the fastest growing suburbs in Texas at the time. In the early 1960s, community volunteers went door-to-door to raise funds to help build Irving’s first medical
center, which was dedicated on Sunday, Nov. 8, 1964. Donors’ gifts since then have helped grow Irving’s Baylor Scott & White Medical Center into the community’s most comprehensive, award-winning hospital. In 2024, it was recognized as one of only 381 Five Star Hospitals in the country
by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It also has been recognized this year
for being a top-performing hospital in seven areas collectively by U.S. News & World Report and
Newsweek magazines. This special edition of The Compass newsletter includes a timeline comprising key dates and photos from the hospital’s 60 years of serving not only Irving, but also communities in the surrounding Mid-cities of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.”
– A 14th-century English Proverb
1959
The City of Irving created the Irving Hospital Authority (IHA). IHA board members crafted a plan for a community hospital in Irving. Also, local civic leaders created the Irving Healthcare Auxiliary, a volunteer corps for the hospital.
1960
Hospital planners reached agreement on a total cost of $750,000 to construct and equip a 100-bed hospital. They also hired a consultant to direct a community
fundraising campaign. The Active Angels, a junior auxiliary comprising girls between ages 13 and 19, was formed.
1961
500 women representing 16 churches and 22 civic groups went door-to-door raising
funds. After three months, the community drive had secured $350,000. The hospital obtained the remaining $400,000 needed
through available federal hospital funds.
1962
Leaders broke ground for the hospital at a 10-acre site at MacArthur Boulevard and Texas State Highway 183. The land for the hospital was donated by Ben Carpenter and his sister, Carolyn Carpenter Williams.
1963
Cost projections far exceed original estimate of $750,000. Lowest bid was now $1.7 million, and the Butcher &
Sweeney construction firm was awarded the contract. IHA increases its request
for available federal hospital funds to $900,000 and additional revenue bonds were secured. The future Irving Community Hospital was welcomed into the Texas Hospital Association.
1964
Dr. Joe Roberts was named first medical chief of staff; Dr. David Stayer, elected vice
president; Dr. Francis Gilbert, secretary; Dr. John Goad, treasurer; Dr. A. R. Best, chief of medicine; Dr. Sam Bashour, chief of surgery; Dr. Ona Mae Austin, chief of pediatrics; Dr. James May, chief of obstetrics and gynecology; and Dr. R. E. Faulds, chief of dentistry.
1965
Private room rates were raised to $23 per day.
1967
Hospital board began planning for a first hospital facility expansion.
1971
First expansion of hospital facilities was completed as discussion for a second
expansion began.
1974
Hospital board announced intent to acquire 10 acres of land in North Irving for future expansion.
1977
Civic volunteers organized and formed the Irving Community Hospital Foundation.
1980
The Zolon Wilkins Family pledged $100,000 for a hospital chapel, which was dedicated the next year. Irving Community Hospital Foundation raised $55,000 from its inaugural TexasFest gala event.
1982
The foundation initiated a $4 million fund drive to expand the hospital’s Emergency
Department, which then opened in 1986 with double the previous number of
treatment rooms and a separate entrance for ambulance patients.
1986
Irving Heart Institute opens
1988
Irving Community Hospital underwent a name change to Irving Healthcare System.
Irving’s hospital became “Dallas Memorial Hospital” for a day as the CBS Television
series “DALLAS” films an episode at the medical center.
1989
The hospital celebrated its 25th anniversary and kicked off a fund drive to build a new outpatient pavilion. The
fundraising goal for the community was to secure $2.5 million of the total $7.5 million needed for the new facility.
1991
Dedication of the expansion project was held. Also in 1991, Marilyn Tucker Quayle, wife of United States Vice President Dan Quayle, addressed a crowd of 500 people at the formal dedication of the Irving Cancer Center.
1992
The foundation was the recipient of proceeds from the local Terry Fox Run hosted by the Four Seasons Resort and Club. Later renamed Cool October Events and finally CURE Four All Seasons, this philanthropic series of events between
1999 and 2022 raised more than $3 million for oncology care and helped partially or
fully fund advancements in cancer care at the Irving hospital.
1995
Irving Healthcare System officially affiliated with the Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System through a management lease agreement with Irving Hospital Authority.
1997
Using its new name, Irving Healthcare Foundation (IHF) hosted its 20th Anniversary Celebration and marked $15.2
million raised since 1977 to save lives and improve the health of residents from Irving and surrounding DFW communities.
1999
Irving Healthcare Auxiliary celebrated its 40th anniversary and contributions
totaling more than $2 million to help the hospital through the decades. Also in 1999,
Irving Healthcare Foundation began raising funds for Our Children’s House at Irving, a
daycare and therapy facility for children who have medical needs.
2000
TexasFest, with its “Any Swing Goes!” theme, grossed a then-record $290,000 in
revenues and helped the gala surpass $3.9 million in funds raised across 21 years. Pat Carnell received the prestigious Harold J “Sy” Seymour Award, the highest
international recognition presented by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.
Pat and her staff boasted nearly $19 million raised in total during her 23 years as foundation president.
2004
As fundraising recovered in the nation from the 9-11 terrorist attacks, Irving Healthcare Foundation granted a record $2.5 million
in one year with most going to fund a new coronary care unit and for enhancements
to the Women’s Pavilion of Health.
2006
With visionary support from the local division of Citi, IHF helped open and support Irving Interfaith Clinic. Volunteer physicians and nurses staffed this charity
clinic two evenings a week to care for needy and uninsured Irving residents. Also in 2006, as part of IHF’s first-ever phonea-thon to grateful patients, 700 donors pledged gifts to help open a new cardiac catheterization lab.
2007
Foundation secured $1.75 million of the $4 million needed for the first heart catheterization lab in North Texas that used magnet-guided catheters to help
cardiologists find and treat arrhythmias.
2008
Longtime donor Virginia Galloway Shipp died, leaving a $1.7 million legacy endowment to be invested with a goal of providing annual funding to help offset the foundation’s
operating expenses. A quiet giver who never sought attention or public thanks for her giving, the board voted to recognize Shipp posthumously in 2009.
2011
Irving Interfaith Clinic’s board agreed to align its efforts with Baylor Medical Center
at Irving. The clinic later became the Baylor Scott & White – Irving Community Clinic. As part of the alignment, the hospital provided a full-time physician and a support team, which allowed the clinic to operate weekdays instead of only two evenings each week.
2013
Dallas-based Baylor Health Care System joined with Temple-based Scott & White
Healthcare to form Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest nonprofit healthcare
system in Texas. Also in 2013, IHF began its A Matter of Life campaign to help double
the size of the hospital’s Emergency Department. The foundation contributed more than $2 million to this effort.
2015 IHF began raising funds to provide service dogs without
cost to children, adults and Veterans who need them. This was in collaboration with Canine Companions®. Also in
2015, employee giving participation reached an all-time high of 85% participation with John Drake serving as “Captain Give,” the fund drive’s mascot that year.
2016
IHF ceased fundraising for Our Children’s House at Irving after Baylor Scott & White Health sold this service division to Children’s Health of Dallas. Between 1999 and 2016, IHF raised more than $5.3 million to provide therapy and daycare services.
2019
While keeping its official name of Irving Healthcare Foundation, the nonprofit
began operating as Baylor Scott & White Irving Foundation. BSW Irving Foundation is part of a family of nonprofits that support BSWH hospitals across Texas. The main four BSW Foundations are located in
Dallas, Fort Worth, Irving and Temple.
2020
BSW Irving Foundation marked another record-breaking fundraising year with gifts from donors totaling $4.6 million. Included in this year’s total was a $2 million pledge from Surekha and Chan Patel to help with a future operating room and cardiovascular services
expansions. The Patels’ gift was recognized with the renaming of Medical Office Building One to the Surekha & Chan Patel Pavilion.
2021-2023
Three consecutive years of the foundation’s TexasFest gala were planned but subsequently cancelled as health restrictions were enforced during the worldwide Covid pandemic, but donors continued to support IHF generously. Financial contributions—as well as homemade masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) and donated
meals for employees—proved donors wanted to help in every way possible. As the pandemic ended in 2022-2023, IHF
added a new signature event, Texas Icons Luncheon, to replace TexasFest. Heather Baker, MPA, joined the team in July 2022 to lead event-planning and annual employee
giving efforts.
2024
BSW Irving Foundation surpassed $76 million raised since 1977 and secured nearly $4 million for key projects during the fiscal year between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Benefiting hospital projects included the expansion of cardiovascular, surgical and maternity services at the hospital. The BSW – Irving Community Clinic received
$257,000, which allowed for the addition of services for pediatric patients. Canine
Companions® graduated 57 teams of clients and service dogs.
