Boone Hospital Center garden dedicated in honor of former trustee

Boone Hospital Center dedicated a healing garden in honor of a former trustee Monday afternoon.

Hospital leaders gathered around 3:30 p.m. at the new sculpture garden dedicated to Barbara Weaver at the entrance of the nearly 400-room facility.

The sculpture is named “Synergy” and was designed by Larry Young.

Weaver was the first woman to serve on the board of trustees when she was elected in 1981. She served in the position for more than 30 years until she retired in 2015.

Weaver helped negotiate Boone Hospital’s 1988 lease agreement with Christian Hospital, which is now part BJC HealthCare.

She was elected chairman of the board in 1991.

During that time, Weaver helped double the size of the hospital, which included the Broadway Medical Plaza buildings and a new patient tower. Her board also bought land in south Columbia and built Boone Hospital Nifong Medical Plaza.

Weaver served on the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) board of directors in the 2000s. She was honored with the MHA Distinguished Service Award in 2004.

Weaver also helped MHA create a Governance Excellence Certificate program for hospital board members in 2011.

She was also on the regional policy board of the American Hospital Association.

Boone Hospital provides health care to people living in 25 mid-Missouri counties.