Willis-Knighton Health System
Willis-Knighton Health System
Willis-Knighton Health System
Willis-Knighton Health System
Willis-Knighton Health System
Willis-Knighton Health System
Since 1924, Willis-Knighton has served the needs of this community with an eye toward the future. The hospital was founded as Tri-State Sanitarium by Dr. T.E. Williams and Dr. L.H. Pirkle to address needs in the fast-growing neighborhoods of west Shreveport. It was sold four years later to Dr. James C. Willis and Dr. Joseph E. Knighton. In 1950, a year after it transitioned to a not-for-profit healthcare organization, it was named in honor of Doctors Willis and Knighton. The vision of early founders grew as Shreveport grew, helping to establish Willis-Knighton as a leader in the field of healthcare locally, regionally and nationally.
The years have brought changes in technology and treatment along with tremendous growth. From one small hospital, Willis-Knighton has grown to encompass multiple facilities, spanning the entire continuum of care for residents in northwest Louisiana and the Ark-La-Tex. Today the health system includes four hospitals as well as a retirement community and a full range of support services.
Willis-Knighton has offered many firsts in our community, including:
- Satellite hospital
- Center for women’s health
- Eye institute
- Heart and vascular institute
- Collaboration as a private hospital with a public, academic medical center, Louisiana Health Shreveport.
- Innovation center with virtual hospital
- Talbot Medical Museum
- Senior residential options at The Oaks of Louisiana to enhance continuum of care
- Freestanding hospital for physical and behavioral rehabilitation
- Numerous “firsts” in technology and procedures, including proton therapy and TomoTherapy at the Willis-Knighton Cancer Center, state-of-the art imaging and diagnostic services, innovative cardiovascular technology and eye surgery technology.
Willis-Knighton’s past is closely tied to those of its friends and neighbors and so is the health system’s future.
Willis-Knighton is a locally-owned, locally-operated healthcare organization dedicated to caring for the people in our community and investing in their health and wellness. The health system’s growth is a result of consistently responding to community needs, a mission it will continue well into the future.
Willis-Knighton Eye Institute
Description
Good vision allows us to enjoy life to its fullest. Physicians who diagnose and treat vision problems are located on each of our general hospital campuses.
Ophthalmologists are physicians who specialize in medical and surgical care of the eye. Their training includes eight years of medical/surgical training to earn an MD or DO degree. Some also pursue an additional one or two years of fellowship training to focus on a specific eye condition. They diagnose and treat eye disease and conditions and are trained to perform eye surgery.
Optometrists are physicians who provide primary care for vision problems. Their training includes four years optometry training to earn an OD degree. They perform vision exams, prescribe corrective lenses, and prescribe medications for eye conditions.
The Willis-Knighton Eye Institute began as the Steen-Hall Eye Institute. The facility was the brainchild of Doctors William Steen and Donald Hall. The pair opened their institute in 1988. They were pioneering ophtalmological surgeons on the cutting edge of contemporary technology. The accounted for many firsts in the Shreveport-Bossier area in the field of eye surgery. Theirs is a tradition their successors continue at the WK Eye Institute.
Location in Museum
Talbot Museum Digital ArchivesAge
1980s to Present
