St Joseph Health Center history

Father Pamfilo, one of the friars of St Bonaventure College, established the Franciscan Sisters as a teaching community in 1859, and the Sisters opened St Elizabeth Academy the following year to educate young women in the area.

Paterson, America’s first planned industrial city, was a bustling fulfillment of Alexander Hamilton’s dream in 1867.

1872 — Hospital opens new facility at Caroline and Oliver Streets in Baltimore City

On August 26, 1873, an article appeared in the Reading Eagle announcing the opening of St Joseph Hospital, "for the reception of all classes of patients, rich or poor, and of whatever sex, nationality or faith.”

The original education mission expanded in 1883 to include hospital administration and healthcare, homes for the young and elderly, pastoral and social work, and many other ministries.

In 1890, influential men of the City of Reading formed a group to help the Sisters meet their challenges.

The Sisters of Mercy came to Phoenix in 1892 to open a parish school.

In 1893, more land was purchased, extending the hospital’s footprint from Walnut to Elm Street, or about half a city block.

Two months later, the Sisters had raised sufficient funds to build a "real hospital." On March 19, 1895, a stake was driven into the ground to mark the site of what would become a hospital housing 24 private rooms that opened onto porches.

In 1897, the State of Pennsylvania incorporated St Joseph Hospital.

1901 — School of Nursing is established to meet nursing shortages

In 1902, the State of Pennsylvania appropriated a $2,000 annual grant to St Joseph Hospital for the first time in its history.

In 1917, the Ladies Auxiliary began.

In 1921, the withdrawal of State Aid created a hardship on the Hospital.

A new wing was dedicated on Sunday, June 13, 1926.

The Sisters had a strong vision for what they wanted, which was to open a brand new hospital that would be the "last word in magnificence and technology." They broke ground for the new 190-bed hospital on May 26, 1928.

He went on to become the first internist and cardiologist in Orange County, was the Chief of the Medical Staff from 1934 to 1936, and was a vital member of the Medical Staff for 48 years. It was Doctor Tedstrom who admitted the hospital’s first patient on September 16, 1929.

The Franciscan Sisters’ healing ministry was brought to Tampa in 1934 with the founding of St Joseph’s Hospital near downtown Tampa.

Doctor Ralph White, who logged six decades of service in Orange County, joined the St Joseph Hospital Medical Staff in 1939 when there were 200 Medical Staff members.

October 20, 1946 Felician Sisters of Our Lady of the Angels Province, Enfield, Connecticut, received a request from Miss Carol Strauss to purchase the Paine Private Hospital located on Center Street in Bangor, Maine.

April 29, 1947 The Felician Sisters agreed to purchase the hospital and the name of the facility was changed to St Joseph Hospital.

In 1948, a Residency in Ophthalmology was established.

In 1950, hospital leaders finalized plans to build a new hospital wing and an addition to the Nurses’ Residence.

In 1951, the Department of Welfare accepted, approved and guaranteed financial aid to construct the additions to the Nurses’ Residence and an additional wing to the hospital.

The modern, spacious facility opened in July of 1953.

In January 1954, plans were maturing for another wing to be added to the hospital, extending from Twelfth and Walnut Streets northward.

1955 marked the 100th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Foundation of the Sisters of St Francis, of which the Sisters of St Joseph Hospital are members.

1956 The Ford Foundation awarded a $130,000 grant to the hospital.

1957 — St Joseph is the first hospital in Maryland to have a structured cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) team

The project was approved and blessed by Bishop Daniel Feeney on March 1, 1960.

In 1961, two departmental schools were started at St Joseph Hospital:

October 11, 1964 The city of Bangor celebrated the formal dedication of the new St Joseph Hospital.

In 1967, a fundraising campaign to raise $1.5 million got off to a great start with a pledge of $100,000 from the Women’s Board of the Combined Auxiliaries.

1968 — Osler Drive Emergency Physician Associates (ODEPA) establishes the first 24/7 emergency physicians group in Maryland St Joseph opens the first short-term inpatient psychiatric unit in Maryland

In 1971, the hospital purchased a mechanical ventilator known as the Drager Spiromat 661.

In 1972, the latest addition to St Joseph Hospital, the North Wing, was dedicated.

1978 Together with officials in East Corinth, St Joseph Hospital opened a clinic to help meet the medical needs in the small town.

1979 Old Town Health Center was established to serve the people of Old Town and the surrounding areas.

December 1980 The hospital launched a campaign for a new Critical Care Unit with a target of $350,000.

March 14, 1981 Property on the corner of French and Congress Streets was purchased for the new Sisters’ residence.

October 10, 1982 St Joseph Hospital administration worked with the Old Town Redevelopment Group to construct a health center for $93,000.

October 1983 A four-unit medical building was established at the site of the former School of Nursing on Center Street.

March 16, 1984 Mammography at St Joseph Hospital expanded and a section of the Radiology Department was designated as the William H. Rosen Breast Diagnostic Center.

April 25, 1985 The Mother Angela Office Building was dedicated.

1986 St Joseph Healthcare purchased Alternative Care Nursing Services, which has evolved into the present-day St Joseph HomeCare, a full service home health agency.

January 16, 1989 The new Respiratory Unit began admitting patients.

March 12, 1990 A new Orthopedic Unit was opened and dedicated.

October 14, 1992 St Joseph Healthcare officially opened its new fiscal/business office complex on Perry Road.

March 18, 1993 St Joseph Healthcare announced the beginning of a multi-million dollar construction project to renovate and expand the hospital.

1994 — St Joseph is the first hospital in Maryland to develop a training program in minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgical techniques for practicing physicians

September 16, 1995 A ceremonial “knocking down” of a wall marked the kick-off of St Joseph Hospital’s building project.

November 21, 1996 Phase One of St Joseph Hospital’s construction/renovation project reached completion.

March 20, 1997 Phase Two of St Joseph Hospital’s construction project, the new Surgical Suites and Patient Tower, was completed.

Fall 1998 Most of St Joseph Healthcare’s affiliated, off-campus offices were consolidated at the new 900 Broadway location in the St Joseph Healthcare Park.

September 2000 St Joseph Hospital became the first facility in Maine to offer full field digital mammography at its Regional Breast Care Center in Bangor.

November 2001 Construction began on a three-story addition to house a fixed-base MRI.

2002 — St Joseph establishes the Village Wellness Project in Tanzania

2004 — The new Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Emergency Department opens

In 2005, Langan Allied Health opened as part of the Downtown Reading campus revitalization.

March 2006 St Joseph Hospital became the first hospital in Maine to offer MRI-guided breast biopsies, a new diagnostic tool which allows early detection and, if necessary, rapid, outpatient biopsies for younger women who have been identified as having significant risk factors for breast cancer.

In 2009, St Joseph began an Oncology partnership with Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

In 2010, Haven Behavioral Health began providing its inpatient behavioral health services in the Downtown Reading campus.

St Elizabeth Hospital opened in February 2011 in Enumclaw, replacing Enumclaw Regional Hospital as the community's acute-care facility.

2012 — Joined the University of Maryland Medical System and became University of Maryland St Joseph Medical Center.

2013 — The inaugural classes of the hospital’s Healing Hands Guild and Profiles of Compassion Society are inducted.

In 2015, St Joseph Regional Health Network was acquired by the newly created Penn State Health, becoming the organization’s first hospital.

2019 — UM St Joseph was ranked the #1 community hospital in Maryland by United States News & World Report – for the first of several consecutive years

December 2021 — The hospital’s Foundation Board establishes the Employee Resilience Fund, to provide supplemental support to staff coping with the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.