July 26, 2024
Dedication to the Community
By: Sara Ergott
The hospital building that sits atop the hill along Route 6 in Tunkhannock, PA, has seen many diverse changes over the last sixty years. As healthcare has evolved throughout the region, the building along with the people that have worked inside its walls have adapted to these transformations. Someone that has seen this evolution and has been committed to the cause of healthcare for the community is resident Mark Mitchell.
Mark was born in Meshoppen, PA, to Tilton S. and Ruth Finch Mitchell. He, along with his sisters Janet and Jane, grew up outside of Springville. His father, Tilton, was owner of Tilton Mitchell Stone Company of Springville, which played a vital role in the creation of the original hospital building along Route 6. One of Mark’s earliest memories of the building along Route 6 was when it was dedicated on October 16, 1965.
“I remember coming to the grand opening with my parents and older sister Janet because my dad’s business had provided the coping flagstone for the exterior of the original section of the building,” recalls Mark.
Mark Mitchell standing in front of the stonework that was placed by his father’s company back in 1965.
Prior to the dedication, Mark recalled the first emergency room patient.
“It was Labor Day, and a young boy fell when he was out in a field with his parents. This boy fell and when did so, he landed on a sharp stick. The stick remained in his body so his parents brought him to the emergency room of the new hospital. The staff was able to get the stick removed and give the boy a tetanus shot along with a few stitches.”
After high school, Mark attended the University of Pennsylvania and traveled for a few years. He then began a career at Franklin First Savings then M&T Bank. In the fall of 1988, Tyler Hospital board member Otto Kyle was looking to retire from the board and suggested that Mark take his place. Mark took the role of board member because he wanted to, “help the hospital to thrive and to provide educational programming for the community.” His commitment to the board continued throughout the years as he become board chair in 2001 up until the hospital ceased operations in 2021.
When asked how the hospital impacted him during this time he reflects, “I had peace of mind knowing that healthcare and emergency services were available within a mile of my home as well as for all our citizens of the surrounding area.”
Now that the Wyoming County Healthcare Center has reopened the doors to the building Mark stated he is looking forward to, “the return of healthcare services and the resumption of educational programs for the community on a variety of healthcare topics. It is vital that the community uses the services in the hospital and its resources because it is vital for its survival. More usage=more services.”
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