Santa Rosa Health & Rehabilitation Center history

On September 8, no matter where they are, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word sing "Queen of the Waves" to remember the Sisters, children, and all those who faced the Great 1900 Storm.

A clinical pathological laboratory was established in 1910.

In 1918, Santa Rosa became the first hospital in Texas to devote a separate unit for the care of crippled children.

In 1930, five years before it became the first Texas hospital to install air conditioning, the Santa Rosa Infirmary was renamed Santa Rosa Hospital.

R. Wright, McKenna persuaded the City of New Braunfels in 1951 to support health care for its citizens by providing the hospital site.

In October 1952, a groundbreaking ceremony commemorating the beginning of hospital construction was held at the hospital site.

The original structure, which still stands as the central core of the hospital, opened its doors to patients in November of 1953.

To this end, the Sisters opened a children's hospital in 1959.

Despite this great loss, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word continued their mission and one year later opened a new St Mary's Orphanage within the city limits. It continued until 1965 when orphanages began giving way to foster homes.

The new $4.5 million, 153-bed county-owned facility opened in December 1972 with approximately 300 employees.

In 1973, New Braunfels Hospital changed its name to McKenna Memorial Hospital in honor of Howard C. McKenna, who served as president of the Hospital’s board of trustees for more than 20 years.

The McKenna Center opened its doors on April 1, 2006, and since that time has served thousands of residents as a community partner.

The sale of McKenna Memorial Hospital to CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health Care occurred on January 31, 2008.

The Foundation began making grants to community non-profits in 2009.