Our Story
For more than 100 years Willis Knighton has provided innovative healthcare for people in Shreveport, Bossier City and the surrounding area.
Doctors T.E. Williams and L.H. Pirkle opened Tri-State Sanitarium in 1924. They took the bold step of building a hospital outside of the traditional cluster of hospitals near downtown Shreveport. Tri-State Sanitarium brought healthcare to a fast-growing suburban neighborhood in west Shreveport and to nearby industrial corridors.
Tri-State was sold four years later to two physicians on the medical staff, Doctors James C. Willis and Joseph E. Knighton. During their ownership, the hospital expanded and became known as Tri-State Hospital. Mrs. Louise Fry, a nurse, served as the hospital’s first administrator.
In 1950 Tri-State Hospital transitioned from a doctor-owned hospital to a not-for-profit healthcare organization. A year later the board of trustees renamed it in memory of Doctors Willis and Knighton.
The single hospital on Greenwood Road grew to include four general acute care hospitals, a hospital devoted to physical and behavioral rehabilitation, and a senior residential community, along with clinics throughout the area.
Under the guidance of Willis Knighton leaders, the organization became a healthcare leader, both locally and regionally, and achieved significant national recognition. During its first century Willis Knighton brought many innovative “firsts” to the community, including:
- Satellite hospital (first in the state)
- Center for women’s health
- Eye institute
- Community/academic medical center collaboration
- Heart and vascular institute
- Hospice program (first in North Louisiana)
- Neonatal intensive care unit with individual rooms
- Proton therapy center
- Innovation center with virtual hospital
- Medical museum
Leadership in technology has been a hallmark of the organization, always seeking new, innovative options to support physicians and their patients. The strategic move of services outside the walls of the hospital made it more convenient for people to access care from Willis Knighton.
Technology expansion was driven by the addition of specialties and subspecialties, as well as specialty centers focusing on key services such as cancer care, heart and vascular care and eye surgery.
Jaf Fielder, who was named president and CEO in 2021, is the third chief executive of the organization during its 100 year history. He has assured the corporation’s strategic leadership, building the future of Willis Knighton Health on the solid foundation of its past.
Today Willis Knighton Health is cornerstone of the healthcare community, focused on excellence with the support of a highly skilled medical staff and dedicated employees. It remains closely aligned to its roots in the community, assuring excellence in healthcare for years to come.
