By Dan Dockstader

South Lincoln Medical Center celebrated 65 years of health care service Tuesday night, Sept. 9, 2025 as they invited the staff and community to celebrate with an evening barbeque at the Kemmerer’s Archie Niel Park.

Helping celebrate that anniversary was SLMC trustee Paula Bowling. She has been a part of the hospital for 25 years, serving on the board and promoting health care in the Kemmerer/Diamondville area.

The event featured a table of memory books dedicated to tracking the hospital’s success for over six decades.

“It’s been a fun 25 years, a real learning experience for me,” Bowling said in an interview at Tuesday night’s dinner celebration. “I have enjoyed being on the board because I am so passionate about health care in my community.”

As a member of the hospital’s board of directors, she he seen both the good and bad times that come with the challenges of health care. “There’s been some ups and downs that we have seen in the hospital community,” she acknowledged, but also noted the hospital and community have prevailed through all the changes.

A highlight for Bowling included the assisted care services for the community, allowing families to keep their grandparents in their home community.

“When I think about that, the very first thing that comes to mind is our nursing home because I was instrumental in that whole thing when it happened,” she recalled with a smile. “It was a big part of my life and I was on the board at that time. It was critical to me because I have so much family here.”

Bowling emphasized the importance of the senior health care services for families. “They have to have somewhere to go and it’s right here in our own community,” she said
of the care facilities associated with SLMC.

She referenced her own family and grandmother’s location for care with these services. “My grandmother was a little older and we had to take her to Green River to the nursing home. It was kind of traumatic. We only got to see her on weekends and that wasn’t every weekend. So having the nursing home here was impressive for me.” She added, “My Mom went in when she was 97 and passed away at 102, so we were so fortunate to see her every day.”

With Kemmerer/Diamondville serving as home with the exception of four years at the University of Wyoming and a short two years in Colorado for Bowling, the community has been her home and she looks forward with optimism.

Discussion on the future and the services for the local hospital are a focal point of plans for health care as the board continues to serve the southwest region.

“We talk about it a lot, what is successful, what is not successful. Our CFO does a lot with the analyzing of what is successful and not successful,” she concluded, noting that surgeries will help with the success program at SLMC. She credited the work of CEO Dave Ryerse as they all build the hospital together for the future.