
	For more than 85 years, the Hendrick name has been the first name in healthcare in Abilene, Texas, and the Texas Midwest. As the first healthcare network to establish a true system of services, the Hendrick name reigns over a 522-bed medical center, a women&rsquo;s center, rehabilitation hospital, cancer center and numerous other innovative services.
	
	Hendrick was the first hospital to permanently serve the Texas Midwest when its doors opened in 1924. During the Great Depression, it was the first hospital people of the Big Country area rallied behind to keep the doors open when money was scarce. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hendrick, for whom the institution was named, made the first major financial gift to the hospital. Through the years it has been the first in the area to offer specialized services, creating departments to fill needs such as physical medicine, nuclear medicine, spiritual care and much more.
