A Seventh-day Adventist clinic in Gland, Vaud, Switzerland, has just turned a new page. The year 2020 marked 115 years since Clinique La Lignière was founded. After a year of lockdowns and restrictions, the Adventist health-care institution was able to celebrate its 115th anniversary on June 12 and 13, 2021.
Two events marked the occasion. The first was organized in the clinic chapel on June 12, with a special message by clinic chaplain Thierry Lenoir, who is also the head of history and heritage at the clinic. The second event took place the following day on the outdoor grounds of the clinic. Several government officials attended.
On June 13, Lenoir served as a guide to help visitors trace the historical milestones of the clinic. A historical conference followed, with Catherine Schmutz, historian for the Canton of Vaud, and Eric Caboussat, founder of the publishing house Cabédita.
“This weekend of ‘birthday celebrations’ was an opportunity for all the participants to remember the long history of La Lignière,” general manager Mattia Benini said. “[It was] a living experience about the care that La Lignière has always provided to its patients. It was also a moment to celebrate, [along] with the authorities, an institution that is rooted in its territory and that continues to grow to meet the needs of the population and promote a healthy lifestyle,” he added.
Lenoir said it is crucial to remember how far the clinic has come, “not out of nostalgia or regret for the old days but to give meaning to our present while offering it a future,” Benini emphasized. “From the past, we must draw a promise for the future.”
About La Lignière
Since it opened its doors in 1905,La Lignière has been serving global health. A health institute at the clinic was founded by Perry Alfred de Forest, an Adventist physician, in collaboration with John Harvey Kellogg, who practiced hydrotherapy, massages, and electrical treatments. From the beginning, emphasis was also placed on physical activity, healthy eating, and rest to support treatment and promote recovery.
After having hosted surgery, maternity, and a nursing school, La Lignière is now a private clinic integrated into the regional and cantonal health network. It has 95 beds, and it specializes in cardiovascular, neurological, orthopedic, and rheumatological rehabilitation. In addition, it is also recognized for post-treatment rehabilitation, internal medicine, and psychiatry.
Two other entities complement the institution’s support for healthy living. They include Centre de Santé La Lignière SA, a center for physical activity, including individual fitness, and group classes in the swimming pool and the gym; and the Centre Médical & Thérapeutique La Lignière SA, a specialized multidisciplinary outpatient center.
Clinique La Lignière SA is owned by the Société Philanthropique de La Lignière, a non-profit association, which supports a vision of health in its biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. The clinic is also part of the international health network of the Adventist Church, which includes hundreds of health-care institutions around the world.
The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-European Division news site.
