At a time when rural health care was scarce, Dr. Ulrick S. Ford took matters into his own hands and built the first hospital in Forks. What started as a small facility soon expanded to occupy an entire city block, serving as a beacon of hope for the surrounding community. Dr. Ford and his family lived upstairs, ensuring that he was always available when patients needed care. With the help of a nurse anesthetist and two visiting physicians from Port Angeles, the hospital even offered surgical services, a rarity in remote areas at the time.

Dr. Ford saw firsthand the challenges of delivering medical care in rural communities—limited resources, few providers, and long distances to larger hospitals. Determined to improve access, he successfully ran for the Washington State Legislature in 1932, championing a platform centered around rural health care needs. His efforts were tireless, and in 1947, his vision became reality with the passage of the Washington Hospital District Law, allowing rural hospitals to receive public funding for the first time.

Following the landmark legislation, Clallam County Public Hospital District #1 was established, making Forks the first hospital district in Washington State. This pivotal moment laid the foundation for sustainable, community-driven health care, ensuring that medical facilities in rural areas had the support needed to thrive.

With a growing patient population and the need for an updated facility, the Forks Chamber of Commerce secured three acres of donated land from Thomas Mansfield and his brother. With a proposed budget of $170,000, plans for a modern hospital took shape. It was a testament to the town’s commitment to ensuring high-quality health care for generations to come.

On November 5, 1952, the new hospital—initially named Olympic Clinic—opened its doors. The sense of community was palpable; volunteers from the Hospital Service Guild (now the Hospital Auxiliary) handcrafted much-needed hospital supplies, including drawsheets, surgical gowns, patient gowns, and towels. The hospital charged $10.50 per day for inpatient care, a stark contrast to today’s health care costs.

One man, Dr. Edwin F. Leibold, took on the enormous responsibility of providing nearly all the medical care in Forks after Dr. Ford retired in 1947. Dr. Leibold, a Minnesota native, embraced his role as the town’s sole physician, working tirelessly from 1947 to his retirement in 1986. Over his decades of service, he delivered over 800 babies, cared for generations of families, and even traversed rough logging terrain to treat injured workers. He and his wife later donated property to expand the hospital site, ensuring its longevity.

Just four years after opening, Forks Community Hospital had already treated over 63,500 patients. The numbers spoke volumes about the need for accessible rural health care and reinforced the importance of maintaining a strong medical presence in the community.

To better reflect its role as the heart of local health care, the hospital was officially renamed Forks Community Hospital. The new name reinforced the mission to provide compassionate, community-focused care to all who walked through its doors.

As the town continued to grow, so did the demand for medical services. Voters approved a bond issue to expand the hospital, leading to reconstruction efforts and the addition of 20 new beds. This expansion ensured that more residents could receive care without having to travel long distances.

Emergency care in Forks took a major step forward. Recognizing the urgent need for skilled first responders, Ray Ellis founded the Forks Ambulance Service in the 1950s, training local community members to administer emergency treatment. Today, the Ray Ellis Memorial Ambulance Service continues his legacy, staffed by certified employed and volunteer EMTs who respond to emergencies across the region.

In 1986, a long-term care facility was added to the hospital, providing essential services for seniors and individuals with complex medical needs.

With the evolving health care landscape, Forks Community Hospital expanded twice more, in 1994 and 1998, enhancing its facilities to provide even greater access to high-quality medical care. These improvements further cemented the hospital’s place as a pillar of health and wellness in the region.