For more than 90 years, the Hendrick name has been the first name in healthcare in Abilene, Texas, and the Texas Midwest. Hendrick Medical Center is licensed for 564 beds, and the Hendrick family of services includes a women’s center, rehabilitation hospital, cancer center, hospice center, NICU 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, people of the Big Country area rallied behind the hospital to keep the doors open when money was scarce. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hendrick, for whom the institution was named, made a major financial gift to pay off debts and build a new wing to expand 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. Hendrick continues to offer aggressive, innovative treatments and preventive healthcare measures ranging from services such as cancer screenings and prenatal education courses to electrophysiology procedures and pediatric intensive care. Providing the strength of a complete system of health services available in their own backyards, most of the citizens of Abilene and the 24 counties that surround it look to Hendrick as their first choice for healthcare. In fact, research shows 64 percent of area residents prefer Hendrick for their healthcare needs.