On the eve of the celebration, the Port News' Lisa Tisdell spoke with a number of key people involved in the early days of the hospital.

With a planned reunion in late November, the Port News is keen to hear anecdotes from your experiences at the hospital. Email editor.portnews@fairfaxmedia.com.au

The base hospital was the first privately operated and publicly funded hospital in the state sparked controversy at the time.

Two decades later, Port Macquarie Base Hospital has grown into one of the leading rural/regional referral hospitals in the state.

Mid North Coast Local Heath District chief executive Stewart Dowrick said the hospital was symbolic, different and controversial 20 years ago: "It was a test case."

The hospital admitted about 7500 to 8000 patients in the first 12 months. Today, more 22,000 patients a year are admitted.

► Staff specialist paediatrician Dr David McDonald says the anniversary should be a celebration for the whole town.

He said the 20th anniversary was an opportunity for everyone in the Port Macquarie community to celebrate the fact this was their hospital.

Dr McDonald, who was a visiting medical officer at the hospital 20 years ago, recalls the "quite challenging" transfer of patients from Hastings District Hospital to Port Macquarie Base Hospital.

► Federal MP Dr David Gillespie says long rosters went hand-in-hand with the early days of Port Macquarie Base Hospital. A visiting medical officer (VMO) worked a week-long stretch including a weekend.

Dr Gillespie worked as a gastroenterologist when the Port Macquarie Base Hospital opened.

The new hospital was a major upgrade from the Hastings District Hospital, he remembers: "It was an excellent institution."

► According to Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams says the base hospital provides exceptional health services to the town and surrounding region.

Mrs Williams worked as a nurse at the hospital for about five years before she won the seat of Port Macquarie.

"I think it's significant the 20-year anniversary is falling at the time we are seeing the opening of the second stage of the hospital expansion," she said.

► Nurse Cheryl Nolte toyed with the idea of working in a medical practice when she first moved to town.

But that wasn't to be, and 33 years later, Mrs Nolte is the nursing unit manager of Port Macquarie Base Hospital paediatric unit.

It is a position she has held for 13 years.

She started at the Hastings District Hospital, and worked in maternity and the special care nursery after Port Macquarie Base Hospital opened.

"It was big and beautiful," she said about the new base hospital 20 years ago."

► The base hospital is part of Jan Maskill's life.

The former Community Board of Advice member and long-serving pink lady recalls the move from the Hastings District Hospital to Port Macquarie Base Hospital as a challenge but she says it was for the betterment of the whole community.

"I think a lot of people were stressed because the old hospital was part of Port Macquarie for so many years and this was privately run," she said.

"After a cooling off period, if you could call it that, people became used to the hospital and the attitudes changed a lot."

► READ more about all these people who make up the community so deeply involved in our base hospital in Friday's Port News.

We are keen to hear anecdotes from your experiences at the hospital.

We you one of the base hospital's first patients? Did you work there?

Email editor.portnews@fairfaxmedia.com.au