When the new Lassen County Hospital was completed in 1916, the Lassen County Board ofSupervisors took a proactive role in its initial management . The old hospital was at the mercy of the board appointed county physician. After with new facility with its amenities  such as a up-to-date operating room which could compete with hospitals found in larger cities. They embarked on an advertising campaign with a focus on Modoc County. After all, it was the consensus of the board that the hospital should pay for itself. Initially, it worked well, due in part of the population surge generated with the establishment of the Lassen Lumber & Box Company. In 1921, there was competition with newly established Riverside Hospital. Then along came Potter’s Maternity Home, which did not help either. Thus, the county hospital was relegated to those indigent means.

This continued until the early 1960s, when the county built another new hospital. Timing can be everything. When Lassen Memorial Hospital opened its doors, Potters and the Riverside were winding down. Plus the local economy got a boost with newly opened prison, the California Correctional Center.

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