John Mathers Health Care

History

Johnson Mathers Health Care, Inc. traces its origins back to 1926 when Hugh Johnson, a resident of Nicholas County, bequeathed his residence on Elm Street in Carlisle to the people of Nicholas County to be used for a hospital. Johnson Memorial Hospital operated until 1949 when a new 32-bed Nicholas County Hospital was built. The land was donated by Judge and Mrs. Walter Shepherd and Hill-Burton Funds were used to pay for the construction.

Johnson Mathers Nursing Home was opened in 1965, named for Mr. Hugh Johnson and Dr. C.W. Mathers, a long-time champion of health care for Nicholas County. The original Nursing Home had 26 personal care beds and 24 nursing care beds. Over the years the bed component of the Nursing Home changed with changes in licensing and regulations and the needs of the community. March 1985, Johnson Mathers Nursing Home became the first Nursing Home in Kentucky to beds licensed for dual levels of care.

In 1969, Nicholas County Hospital and Johnson Mathers Nursing Home were consolidated into one organization with one management team even though the two facilities were located on opposite ends of the town. November 1976, the citizens of Nicholas County voted for a general obligation revenue bond to build a new hospital adjacent to the nursing home. June 5, 1979, the two facilities became one. The corporate name had been changed to Johnson Mathers Health Care, Inc. in 1977.

Johnson Mathers Health Care continued to change in response to the needs of the community. On November 1, 2010, ownership of the Johnson Mathers Nursing Home transferred to Thames, LLC. At the time of the transfer of ownership, Johnson Mathers Nursing Home had 104 licensed Nursing Facility Beds. Ownership of the Nicholas County Hospital, licensed as a Critical Access Hospital with 16 beds, remained with JMHC, Inc.

Although JMHC, Inc. (d/b/a Nicholas County Hospital) has changed over the years in response to the needs of the community, some things will never change. Our dedication is to the stakeholders of this not-for-profit organization and our mission to strive to provide quality care that exceeds the personal expectations of those we serve and endeavor to enhance the health and well being of the communities we serve.