Memorial Hospital opened in 1950 with 132 beds, is the largest SIH facility and a regional medical center. It is home to the first open heart surgery program in the immediate southern Illinois area and offers high quality cardiac services through its partnership with the Prairie Heart Institute at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, one of the nations best cardiac care centers. The hospital is also home to a regional cancer treatment center, the only Level II Plus neo-natal intensive care unit and the only pediatric unit in the immediate southern Illinois area. The hospital is affiliated with Southern Illinois University's Medical School through its Family Practice Residency Program.