Longtime Doctor Recalls Fond Memories of Homestead Hospital

As Baptist Health Homestead Hospital celebrates its 85th anniversary, longtime medical staff members have many positive and fun memories to share.

Dr. Charles Augustus, an OB/GYN and the Chief Medical Officer of Baptist Health Homestead Hospital, has been with the hospital for more than 34 years, and has been a part of many of the recent changes to the hospital.

The hospital first opened in 1940 and was named after Dr. James Archer Smith, a beloved doctor in the community. The hospital began with 10 beds and over time expanded to more than 100 beds; it now has 147 beds.

In 1990, South Miami Hospital purchased the James Archer Smith Hospital and invested in improvements on the then 50-year-old building.

In 1991, the hospital was renamed Homestead Hospital to reflect its community identity.

In the mid-1990s, Homestead merged with Baptist. Soon after the merger, Baptist began working on a new state-of-the-art hospital, and in 2007, the new Homestead Hospital opened.

“This changed our ability to serve the community in a positive way,” said Augustus. “Now we are using robotics in general surgery, OB/GYN surgery, and urology. This has been incredible because it brings minimally invasive surgery to our patients. Instead of making larger incisions, we can use little puncture sites.”

Over the years, the hospital has faced some challenges. When Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992, the hospital closed for two weeks, and a National Guard unit from Charlotte, North Carolina, came and set up a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit.

“I remember delivering babies on an Army cot. I will always remember that experience,” said Augustus.

The culture of caring at Baptist and a desire to help others is something that Augustus is proud of.

“I believe in Baptist Health and what we have done. Our culture has helped us grow and allowed us to increase our services. I have delivered over 10,000 babies in my career, and it has been very rewarding for me,” said Augustus.

While he has enjoyed his experience at Baptist, Augustus is looking forward to an even brighter future.

“We will continue to work to meet the growing needs of our community,” he said.