Collingsworth General Hospital is committed to providing quality
healthcare through a team of dedicated physicians and caring staff.

Through the years, in whatever facility the local hospital has been housed, it has been available to the community and operated by caring individuals committed to providing quality healthcare by a team of dedicated physicians and allied staff.

The healthcare story for Collingsworth County is one rich in history. The first hospital was a two-story house until 1935 when Dr. E.W. Jones built a new hospital next door. After several years, Dr. Jones found it difficult to maintain the operations of the hospital and in March 1938 he decided to turn over the hospital to the Community of Sisters. Shortly after the transaction, four Sisters set out for the unknown territory of the Texas Panhandle and were welcomed with open arms by the doctors and their families.

Unfamiliar with the Community of Sisters and their work, it was difficult for the residents of Collingsworth County to fully accept the Sisters. Many patients who were able to leave the hospital after the Sisters arrived choose to do so at that time.  Eventually the Sisters were accepted by the community and the hospital began to operate as a fully functioning healthcare facility for the benefit of the Texas Panhandle community residents and their families.

The first set of triplets was born in Collingsworth County on November 6, 1941 and around 1945 the first X-ray machine was put in the hospital. Collingsworth County was not immune to the racial tensions occurring across the country during this era. Segregation was a part of hospital operations in all departments including the maternity ward.

In 1951, the Sisters built an expansion to the hospital and in 1963 more new construction yielded a two-story addition. The expansion included a new surgery suite, several semi-private patient rooms and a nursery. This was a big step in the hospital’s history because the new construction gained the attention and approval of the American College of Surgeons in meeting expectations set forth for operating hospitals.

The Sisters operated the hospital until 1972 when the Collingsworth County Hospital District was formed. The District Board then took over the operations of the hospital and renamed it to Collingsworth General Hospital.

The community has always supported the need for a hospital with medical professionals located close to home and dedicated to the quality delivery of healthcare. When the Hospital District fell on hard times, the community stepped forward and raised $260,000 in less than two months to keep the hospital open.  In January 2004, the Hospital Board hired Preferred Management, specialist in hospital operations, to help gain Critical Access status as a means of creating a more productive and financially sound healthcare facility for the community.

Today the hospital employs more than 60 employees and has two doctors and two midlevel healthcare providers on staff.  The latest expansion of Collingsworth General Hospital was completed in January 2011 and a new 6,891 sq. ft. Collingsworth Family Medicine clinic was completed in January 2010. Both were funded by a $5.5 million bond issue the voters of Collingsworth County passed in May 2008. The 11,857 sq. ft. hospital addition includes 13 patient rooms, a nurses’ station and state-of-the-art emergency department.

Throughout the years in the different facilities that housed the hospital, the one thing that has remained constant for Collingsworth General Hospital is that there has always been medical providers and an allied staff dedicated to the delivery of high quality healthcare close to home for the Collingsworth County community with listening, sharing and healing as top priorities.

Our Staff


     -Doctors
Dr. David Haacke came to Wellington in 2005. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency at East Tennessee State University Family Medicine Program in Kingsport, TN. Dr. Haacke is Board Certified with the American Board of Family Medicine, and is currently a fellow of anti-aging and functional medicine. He and his family chose Wellington for its family-friendly atmosphere and commitment to creating a healthy community.

Dr. Petersen received his medical degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Ft. Worth and completed his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University in microbiology. After medical school he completed a three-year residency program at Altoona Family Physicians in Altoona, PA where he served as Chief Resident. Prior to joining Collingsworth Family Medicine, he was the Chief of Staff of Wamego City Hospital in Kansas. In Wamego his practice included traditional family medicine, colonoscopy and EGD procedures as well as delivering babies.


     -Physician Assistants
Jason Davis, MPAS, PA-C, RT(R) began his career at Collingsworth Family Medicine when he was completing his practicum under the guidance of Dr. Andrew Petersen. He was appointed as a Physician Assistant in July 2010. Davis received his associate’s degree of applied science in radiographic technology from Southeast Community College in Lincoln, NE; his bachelor’s of health science in health services administration from Washburn University in Topeka, KS; and his master’s of physician assistant studies from the University of North Dakota. Davis and his family are very happy to be part of the Wellington community.

Tiffany Wilson, PA-C received her bachelor’s of science degree in biology from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and her master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center where she graduated at the top of her class. She completed her clinical rotations in Temple and San Angelo and was awarded Outstanding Physician Assistant Student of the Year in Family Medicine. Wilson enjoys working in Collingsworth County and feels like many of her patients have become like family to her. Originally from large cities, she and her husband agreed they wanted to live and raise their children in a small town so they moved to Wellington in March 2004. He is a physical therapist assistant in Wellington.


     -Chief Nursing Officer
Vikki Barton, RN, is a long-time resident of Wellington, TX who has worked for Collingsworth General Hospital since 1998 when she started as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). She returned to school to earn her nursing degree and was promoted to the position of Registered Nurse in 2005 and then to her current position of Chief Nursing Officer in 2011. Barton has nursing experience in a variety of medical areas such as trauma, pediatrics, geriatrics, cardiac, discharge planning, respiratory therapy, assistance with medical procedures, wound care, physical therapy and hospice.


     -Hospital Administrator
Candy Powell is a long-time resident of Wellington and graduated from Wellington High School in 1987. She graduated with an associate’s degree in radiology from Amarillo College in 1989 and completed her training in Amarillo at Northwest Texas Hospital. She began her career in healthcare as an X-ray technician at Elk City Community Hospital and in July of 1993 joined the staff of Collingsworth General Hospital as the director of radiology. By 1996 Powell was overseeing the operations of the radiology and laboratory, housekeeping, maintenance and central supply departments. In September 2001 she was promoted to assistant administrator of the hospital and was named hospital administrator in August 2006. Powell has a strong commitment to Collingsworth General Hospital and the community because she loves working in her hometown and taking care of her friends and neighbors. Powell is married to Jeff Powell and has three children, Mason, Keedon and Brecklyn ages 18, 15 and three.