Union Health history

Their combined efforts culminated in 1893 when the Sturtevant House, which was located on Winthrop Street, opened its doors as Framingham Hospital and became the only public medical facility in Framingham.

Through donations from local families and hospital trustees, an additional $27,500 was raised to build a 1917 addition to the hospital.

Alberta’s union hospital districts began with one in 1919 and grew to 11.

In 1925, the Framingham & Union Avenue Hospitals were merged successfully to become Framingham Union Hospital.

A 1927 ground breaking ceremony, attended by over 3000 guests, was held for the soon-to-be new Framingham Union Hospital facility.

In 1936, the State Public Works Administration announced a grant that would fund an addition to provide an operating room for accidents, two regular operating rooms, a “tonsil & adenoid room”, “anesthetic room”, four double rooms, six private rooms and more.

In 1948, the United States Congress chose Framingham, Massachusetts and therefore Framingham Union Hospital as the location for its long-term cardiovascular research study.

Noted nurse and aviator Ellen Church joined the hospital in 1951 as the Director of Nursing, and soon was promoted to Hospital Administrator.

Eventually, by 1968 the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was established, and it quickly reduced the number of deaths from 15 per 1,000 to 6 per 1,000.

However, by 1974 the hospital was again at capacity and a $3.3 million dollar expansion was granted by the State Public Health Council.

In response to this, in 1989 Leonard Morse Hospital officially opened their Family Birthplace, added a more comprehensive paramedic service, created START (an addiction & substance abuse treatment program) and more.

In 1991, the new Women’s and Newborn unit opened, followed by the MetroWest Cardiac Center.

1996 - Saint Barnabas Health Care System Receives FTC Approval for Statewide Network

The Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science of Saint Barnabas Medical Center reports the birth of Emma, a healthy baby girl, born on May 9, 1997 – the first in the world to result from a new assisted reproduction procedure called cytoplasmic transfer.

1998 - Saint Barnabas Performs State’s First Laparoscopic Kidney Donation

2000 - $20 Million HEART HOSPITAL of New Jersey Opens

2001 - Saint Barnabas Completes New Ultramodern Emergency Department