A. Robinson, of Grace Church, had been recommending the formation of a hospital for the region, and the King's Daughters decided to make this the first major order of business.

[5] Cortland Hospital, with space for six patients, opened on April 1, 1891, in a rented cottage on Clayton Avenue.

Within just a few short years, the number of patients outgrew this hospital and an 1834 home at 84 North Main Street was bought for $6000 and dedicated on March 27, 1895.

[3][8] Around 1909, George H. Wiltsie sold his five-acre property at 134 Homer Avenue to the hospital association for $18,000 and Chester F. Wickwire initially donated $70,000 to construct a "first-rate" facility.

[3] Cortland Hospital opened a new 21-bed maternity wing in February 1922, delivering 135 babies by the end of the year.

[9] In 2015, the Leapfrog Group rated Cortland Regional Medical Center "F" for patient safety, one of only two hospitals in New York to receive this grade.