The year was 1892. Antibiotics hadn’t been invented yet, fixing farm or kitchen equipment required a trip to the local blacksmith and main streets throughout the country were lined with mom-and-pop businesses. Patrons of these businesses arrived via bicycle, carriage or horseback, not automobiles. And in Stark County, Aultman Hospital first opened its doors.

When you think of mom-and-pop businesses, a hospital might not be the first thing to come to mind. But as we recognize March 29 as National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, we also think of the generations of moms and pops that Aultman has provided care to for well over a century. And, as the only independent, full-service healthcare system in the region, we have a unique relationship with large and small businesses throughout our community.

In the many years since its inception, Aultman has grown considerably. We still provide care for all the moms and pops in Stark County, but our service area has expanded, including Aultman Orrville Hospital, Aultman Alliance Community Hospital and an affiliation with Pomerene Hospital in Millersburg, not to mention hundreds of physician offices and thousands of lives covered under AultCare, the insurance company.

And much like the mom-and-pop businesses we serve, Aultman offers many of the same advantages – creating more personalized service while proactively addressing community needs. In response to a rise in cancer cases in the region, Aultman built and opened the Timken Family Cancer Center in 2022. In response to Massillon’s hospital closing, Aultman moved quickly to create its first free-standing emergency department in that community in 2019. And currently, in order to provide even better surgical care for the rising need, Aultman is raising money for surgical suite enhancements that will be coming soon.

But Aultman doesn’t only address the needs of Stark County. Aultman Orrville Hospital also offers a series of Rural Health Clinics (RHC) to help address the needs of smaller communities. These RHCs offer primary care and other services in communities such as Alliance, Apple Creek, Bolivar, Carrollton, Dalton, Dover, Doylestown and Orrville. Aultman Tuscarawas Health Center, opened in 2021, provides primary care, cardiology, imaging and lab services to Tuscarawas County residents. Being independent allows us to provide more community-focused care, all while maintaining our commitment to stimulating the community with programs, grants, screenings, events and more.

Aultman also helps educate future health professionals through Aultman College, which has expanded its degree programs over the years to include much more than its original specialty in nursing in response to rising community need and demand. Today, Aultman College offers degrees in health sciences, medical assisting, social work, radiography, phlebotomy training and of course, nursing, from the associate level to bachelor’s level and registered nursing.

So, on this year’s National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, Aultman is proud to salute the business proprietors in our community and care for them as we have for more than 130 years. We’re here for you, in your community.