The Plains Health Centre was founded by the South Saskatchewan Hospital Centre Board to provide a base hospital and other health facilities for Southern Saskatchewan. At its inception, the new facility was to be a teaching hospital affiliated with the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on 9 July 1970, after nearly three years of intensive planning by the SSHC Board and its architects. The corner stone was laid on 8 November 1973 and the Centre was opened in 1974. The new 303-bed facility provided the services of medicine, general surgery, orthopaedics, neurological sciences, urology, plastic surgery, ICU/CCU and self-care; carried out all cardio-vascular surgery; provided a centre for severe multiple trauma; provided resource services to rural hospitals in the south-east region of Saskatchewan; was a teaching centre for medical, nursing, and para-medical personnel; and included research within the health field in its programs. The Centre was the first hospital in Canada built with primarily single room, self-contained accommodations. In 1992 the "Report on More Effective Hospital Care for Regina" (Atkinson report) recommended the closure of the Plains Health Centre and the consolidation of acute care in the Pasqua and Regina General hospitals. The following year, the newly-formed Regina Health District Board took over the administration of the Plains, and initiated a five-year plan ("Toward 2000") to fulfil these recommendations. The Plains Health Centre was closed in 1998. The following individuals have served as Administrator of the Plains Health Centre: Elta Brown (1976-1978), William A. Dartnell (February 1978-September 1981), Don P. Schurman (October 1981-ca. 1984), and Dick Chinn (1984-1993).