Amid all the continued medical innovations occurring during the early 1980s, Baptist Medical Center again experienced a corporate restructuring, becoming Baptist Medical Center of Oklahoma. The center celebrated its 25th anniversary with a week of special events and a secure position as a leader in health care.

In 1983, Jay Henry, the longtime Baptist Medical Center administrator, became president of the Oklahoma Healthcare Corp., and Phillip A. Newbold rose from vice-president to president of Baptist Medical Center. With this change, BMC became one of six subsidiaries of the Oklahoma Healthcare Corp., which included the Baptist Medical Center of Oklahoma Foundation and the Baptist Ambulatory Care Corp.

Increasing efficiencies were important to keeping costs in check, and when BMC joined Voluntary Hospitals of America Inc. in 1984, as a shareholding member of the national group of nonprofit hospitals, it gained the ability to take advantage of group purchasing arrangements.

While these administrative changes occurred largely behind the scenes, patients continued to benefit from clinical advances at the medical center. Dr. Nazih Zuhdi, the celebrated heart and transplant surgeon who brought many innovations to the medical center and world through his pioneering work, became chairman of the Oklahoma Heart Center in 1984, BMC’s first named Center of Excellence and one of Oklahoma Healthcare Corp.’s six subsidiary institutions. The same year, Dr. Zuhdi launched the Oklahoma Transplant Institute, now a BMC Center of Excellence bearing his name.

BMC marked its 25th anniversary in 1984 with a week of special events, and Gov. George Nigh proclaimed April 25 Baptist Medical Center Day. Sadly, as the medical center welcomed the next chapter in its history, Dr. Henry G. Bennett, the first and only chief of staff, died in December. Dr. H. Thompson Avey succeeded him as chief of the medical and dental staff.

View Images