New Hanover Regional Medical Center celebrates 50th anniversary

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — New Hanover Regional Medical Center hit a milestone. Fifty years of healing and service to patients.

“Fifty years ago today was one of the proudest moments in our community’s history. The day the first integrated hospital in our region opened,” John Gizdic, New Hanover Regional Medical Center president, said.

Hundreds of people came out for the 50th anniversary celebration in front of the medical center. Many speakers were present for the ceremony and a new sculpture was unveiled to the public.  The statue is named “The Circle of Life” and Dr. William Salling says he had a special inspiration when creating the sculpture.

“I got to honor my mother. I got to think about her fifty years ago, being here. This is a very nice feeling,” Salling said.

Gizdic and Salling also says the sculpture encapsulates the emotions patients and family members go through every day at the medical center.

“It wrote its own story as I was imagining what people would feel in a hospital and things that they would experience. So, it wrote its story to me,” Salling said.

“There are times that are joyful and there are times that are sad. This sculpture depicts all of those moments in the circle of life that we experience here, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center,” Gizdic said.

Besides the celebration, New Hanover Regional staff gave out yellow roses to all of their patients in honor of the 50th anniversary.