100 years of service and care

Alot has changed in Shreveport/Bossier City in the last 100 years. Those of you who were alive in the middle of the last century can probably remember hospitals of various sizes and names in various locations around town.

Healthcare has changed with the times in the past century, but one provider has remained, growing into a regional force to be reckoned with.

In 1924, Tri-State Sanitarium was founded by Drs. T. E. Williams and L. H. Pirkle to serve the growing West Shreveport area. In 1928, Dr. James C. Willis and Joseph E. Knighton bought the hospital. In 1950, after becoming a nonprofit organization, it was renamed for the two doctors, becoming the familiar Willis Knighton brand.

From that one hospital, the health system has grown to include multiple facilities. Today, Willis Knighton enters its centennial year with four hospitals, a retirement community and multiple neighborhood clinics providing a variety of services to the public.

To begin the next hundred years, Willis Knighton has made some cosmetic changes to its branding. They’ve dropped the word “System” from the corporate identity to simply become Willis Knighton Health. They’ve also updated the logo with a new color and a “fresher, cleaner, and more up to date” look.

In a release announcing the changes, the hospital said, “‘Care to change your world’ is more than just a slogan at Willis Knighton. It’s a promise we make every day to provide care that goes beyond the boundaries of traditional healthcare to literally change lives. It’s a commitment to helping each and every patient live his/her best life.”

Willis Knighton Health has named James K. Elrod, the president and CEO of the system for 56 years, as president emeritus in the wake of his announced retirement, while also announcing that the organization has been ranked the No.1 hospital in Louisiana by “Newsweek” for 2024.