History of Saint Vincent

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For a moment, imagine 1875. It's 10 years beyond the end of the Civil War. Ulysses S. Grant is the U.S. president. Railroads are the central industry of the country. The American population is dominated by farmers. Erie, like most cities, has no hospital. Its 28,000 residents are cared for by a handful of doctors who have set up practice in this growing port.

But the Sisters of St. Joseph are about to make history. Already caring for orphans and teaching in local Catholic schools, they're now called to enter the ministry of health care.

For months, the Sisters canvass the city seeking donations. The community generously supports their cause, and on September 5, 1875, Erie's first medical institution – St. Vincent's Hospital – is open. It's a three-story, 12-bed hospital staffed by one surgeon and seven dedicated Sisters, who handle everything from nursing to laundry.

The Sisters' ministry to the sick began with an unfortunate accident in front of the St. Joseph orphanage in 1874. After caring for an injured man, other cases were soon brought to the Sisters, until demand became so great that Mother Agnes Spencer obtained permission from Bishop Mullen to build the hospital.

Over the next 130 years, the original building was expanded, other buildings were constructed and the health center "campus" was formed. Saint Vincent Health System grew to encompass sites such as other health care facilities and physician practices that are in the regional community. Learn more about our Mission and Vision. The following chronology highlights the 130 years of caring provided by health system associates.

Chronology 1865 – 2008

1865 - 1900

    1865
    • Mother Agnes Spencer and four Sisters of Saint Joseph from Meadville establish home for orphans in Erie.
    1874
    • Mother Agnes Spencer (superintendent 1875 - 1882) obtains permission from Bishop Mullen to found St. Vincent's Hospital.
    • Erection begins in 1874 with a building cost of $7,000.
    1875
    • Doors of the first hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, open. Patients cared for by Sisters and Dr. J. L. Stewart.
    1886
    • New operating room (18 feet x 18 feet) opens. Has hot and cold water, marble washstands, and other conveniences.
    1894
    • State of Pennsylvania grants charter to St. Vincent's, conferring corporate rights and duties as a nonsectarian institution under title of St. Vincent's Hospital Association.

1900 - 1925

    1900
    • New Old Main annex opens.
    • Ladies' Aid organizes (later known as St. Vincent Hospital Auxiliary).
    1901
    • School of Nursing established.
    1904
    • First intern rotates at St. Vincent Hospital.
    1911
    • First annex, E Building, opens, connects original hospital on West 24 Street with Old Main Building on Sassafras Street.
    1912
    • X-ray department established, with Dr. William Dill as the hospital's first roentgenologist.
    1914
    • State Department of Medical Education establishes a formal course of instruction for interns.
    1925
    • First Nurses' Home erected.

1925 - 1950

    1939 - 40
    • Diagnostic building, 65-bed maternity ward, power house and laundry unit facilities open.
    1939
    • Hess Urological Clinic established by Dr. Elmer Hess.
    1946
    • St. Vincent Cancer Prevention Clinic established.
    1947
    • St. Vincent Hospital Laboratory School receives approval of Council of Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association for training of laboratory personnel.
    • Eye clinic established.

1950 - 1975

    1952
    • Service Building opens.
    1956
    • Long-range plans consist of a four-story building with accommodations for 127 beds (total capacity: 500 beds) and a completely air-conditioned surgical suite with sub-sterilizing rooms located between each pair of operating rooms. In addition, plan includes expansion of diagnostic, X-ray, physio-therapy and clinical facilities, and remodeling of business quarters.
    1958
    • Laboratory areas on first floor of Diagnostic Building increase to 5,000 square feet, and added facilities include a new outpatient office, waiting room, procedure room, blood donor station and autopsy room.
    • Medical Record Department established as a single unit.
    • Comptroller's Office established.
    1959
    • Alcoholism Counseling Center opens.
    • Artificial-Kidney Unit installed.
    1961
    • Amputee Clinic established.
    • Medical offices on West 25 Street planned and approved by Board of Incorporators.
    1963 - 65
    • Two-floor Pediatric Section added to Main Building.
    1964
    • Rehabilitation Center opens.
    1971
    • Radiology Technology Program of Saint Vincent Health Center and Gannon College established.

1975 - 2000

    1975
    • Mary Occhipinti Cardiac and Intensive Care Unit opens on second floor of new North Building with 12 cardiac care beds and 12 intensive-care beds.
    1976
    • Family Practice Residency accredited.
    1977
    • Hemodialysis Unit and Gastroenterology Lab open.
    1978
    • Helipad used for the first time for a patient transfer to Saint Vincent from Elk County Hospital.
    • Peripheral Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory is added to the Cardiovascular Unit.
    1979
    • Five-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit opens.
    1980
    • Laser Unit opens, offering laser surgical procedures in gynecology and otolaryngology, and is the first of its kind in the Erie area.
    1981
    • Saint Vincent Foundation for Health and Human Services established.
    • First computer word-processing system installed.
    • Clifford Peterson, M.D., obstetrician, delivers his 10,000th baby.
    • New outpatient area opens in renovated McBrier Auditorium.
    • Medical Information System (MIS) introduced; Saint Vincent is one of the first hospitals to use computer technology, making patient data instantly available to authorized personnel.
    • Eleven sets of twins delivered within a three-month time period.
    • Saint Vincent becomes largest hospital in the state, recording the highest number of admissions in Pennsylvania.
    1983
    • Washington School, at 21 and Sassafras Streets, renovated to house School of Nursing and computer center.
    • Saint Vincent Health Center and Hamot Medical Center form Tri-State Regional Trauma Center.
    • Emergycare emergency transport service, jointly operated by Saint Vincent, Hamot and Doctor's Osteopathic Hospital, begins operation.
    1984
    • Erie area's largest baby, weighing 17 pounds 3 ounces, and first test-tube baby, are both born at Saint Vincent.
    1986
    • Laboratory services merges with outside lab services and Pathology Associates of Erie to form Associated Clinical Laboratories.
    1987
    • Tri-State Regional Cancer Center, jointly operated by the Saint Vincent Foundation and Hamot Health Systems, opens on West 12th Street.
    • Saint Vincent Outpatient Surgery Center opens on West 25 and Myrtle Streets.
    • The Women's Diagnostic Center at Saint Vincent opens.
    1988
    • The foundation is restructured and parent corporation, Saint Vincent Health System, is formed with Sr. Margaret Ann Hardner serving as president. Saint Vincent Health Center is subsidiary.
    1989
    • Saint Vincent is the first hospital in nation to begin testing for the National Heart Attack Risk Study.
    • AICD implants introduced and electrophysiology lab opens.
    • Outpatient Rehabilitation Center opens in mall on West 18 and Sassafras Streets.
    1995
    • Board of Trustees adopts strategic initiative to develop and implement a neighborhood health initiative, and Saint Vincent begins assessing health needs of South Erie Hillside neighborhood by surveying door to door.
    • Project 2000 officially completed. New South Building houses maternity, intensive-care units, engineering areas, new entrance and lobby, cardio-technical services, and the laboratory.
    1998
    • Saint Vincent Heart Center outperforms all other hospitals in the region with more open heart surgeries, more cardiac catheterizations and interventions, and further advances in electrophysiology services, including radio-frequency ablation.
    • Saint Vincent Progressive Care Center opens to serve the needs of patients who are not ready to go home but still need some level of hospital care.
    • The Saint Vincent Surgery Center marks its 10th anniversary and another banner year as the state's busiest freestanding surgery center and one of the nation's best in patient satisfaction.
    1999
    • Saint Vincent Fast Track is rated well above the national mean (one standard deviation) in patient satisfaction, based on physician care, nursing care and medical outcomes
    • The LifeStar helicopter service, a Saint Vincent joint venture, is one of only 67 flight programs in the country to receive accreditation.
    • The Quality Institute of Northwestern Pennsylvania recognizes Saint Vincent Behavioral Health for inpatient care.
    • Westfield Memorial Hospital, a Saint Vincent affiliate, opens a new facility with new quarters for X-ray, lab, surgery and other services.

2000 - 2008

    2000
    • Saint Vincent is designated a world-class performer in coronary artery bypass surgery by Premier Inc.
    • Thirty-four members of the medical staff are recognized in The Best Doctors in America.
    • The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council again confirms that Saint Vincent is the region's leading health care provider, caring for more patients than any other hospital in northwestern Pennsylvania, with charges well below the regional and state averages.
    • Saint Vincent and its regional partners form the Regional Heart Network to standardize care across the area and improve local access to cardiac services.
    • Along with local business leaders, Saint Vincent launches Project Heart Start to place AEDs (automated external defibrillators) in public locations and businesses throughout the region.
    2001
    • The Saint Vincent Heart Center is among the first in the nation to be accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories. Four of its cardiologists are among the first to become board certified in interventional cardiology.
    • The first cardiology telemedicine links are established between Saint Vincent and its partners in the Regional Heart Network.
    • Heart Center firsts include the Mosaic heart valve, intracoronary brachytherapy, and in-house access to a cardiologist 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
    • Saint Vincent and its orthopedic surgeons open a joint center for total hip or knee replacement surgery and develop plans for a sports medicine center at Family First Sports Park.
    • Several nursing units rank in or above the 90th percentile in patient-satisfaction scores.
    2002
    • Angela Bontempo is promoted to President and CEO of Saint Vincent Health System.
    • Saint Vincent becomes the sponsor of a national disaster medical team, Erie Regional DMAT 3.
    • The Emergency Department remains the busiest in the region and ranks among the top 6 percent in the nation for patient satisfaction.
    • Saint Vincent receives Governor's Award for Safety Excellence
    • A new senior administrative team is assembled to implement the new vision: Saint Vincent associates and physicians will be responsible for the health care of more than one million individuals in the region, strive to be nationally recognized for setting standards of care, and be known for providing leading-edge treatment, while demonstrating compassion and excellence. Saint Vincent will partner with its affiliates and other providers to deliver a continuum of health care services to the communities we serve. We will continue to be the health network of choice as we continually improve the health and well-being of the people we serve.
    2003
    • Financial turnaround earns Saint Vincent its first Moody's rating.
    • Saint Vincent introduces the All for One initiative to continuously the workplace environment for employees.
    • Saint Vincent's nurse vacancy rate falls to 3 percent - well below the national average of 13 percent.
    • Saint Vincent implemented its first Guidelines Applied in Practice program to improve heart attack and congestive heart failure patient outcomes. Results better state averages.
    • A Saint Vincent cardiologist is the first in the region to use a minimally invasive technique to close a hole in the heart.
    • Saint Vincent cardiologists are regional pioneers the use of drug-coated stents to reduce the likelihood of restenosis in the arteries.
    • Saint Vincent acquires new Stealth Station® neurological navigation hardware and software that helps surgeons work with greater precision in the operating room.
    • Technology to detect breast cancer up to two years earlier than traditional equipment is installed at Saint Vincent.
    • The Women's Center at Saint Vincent is fully renovated and continues to provide excellence in mammography and bone densitometry services.
    • Saint Vincent gastroenterologists began to use capsule endoscopy (a tiny camera in a pill capsule) to diagnose gastrointestinal disorders.
    2004
    • Saint Vincent introduces the region to Gamma Knife technology - brain surgery without an incision.
    • Saint Vincent joins a statewide initiative to battle cancer.
    • The Saint Vincent Guidelines Applied in Practice for Heart Attack Patients project receives the Vantage Quality Award for Clinical Excellence.
    • Saint Vincent achieves best quality performance for seven procedures and treatments in our market according to a Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council report.
    • Frontier Family Practice and Greater Erie Surgical Associates join the Saint Vincent Medical Group.
    • Erie Home Health Services, a new Saint Vincent affiliate in partnership with Millcreek Community Hospital and Corry Memorial Hospital, opens for business.
    • The Saint Vincent Osteopathic Emergency Medicine Residency is established.
    • Saint Vincent neurosurgeons begin to use minimally invasive equipment for spine surgeries to spare back muscles and decrease pain, recovery time and blood loss.
    • Saint Vincent cardiothoracic surgeons implant a special ventricular assist device, or portable artificial heart, into a patient.
    • Saint Vincent provides jobs to nearly 2,700 area residents and has a $250 million impact on the community.
    • Saint Vincent provides $12.5 million in uncompensated services and activities to patients and the community and $3.1 million in charity care to uninsured and underinsured patients.
    • More than 550 uninsured patients obtained medical coverage with the help of a Saint Vincent medical assistance advocate.
    2005
    • Saint Vincent Health Center's focus on quality shines through and exceeds the national average in 14 of 16 quality-of-care indicators according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services statistics on the new Web site, hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.
    • Saint Vincent's bond rating receives a double upgrade from Moody's Investment Service Inc. as a result of exceptional financial performance.
    • Saint Vincent, the City of Erie, Erie County, Highmark and the Sisters of Saint Joseph in proclaiming a local week to create awareness about the uninsured.
    2006
    • Saint Vincent and Landmark Healthcare Facilities LLC break ground for the $28.2 million Landmark construction project.
    • Geropsych unit opens
    • Imaging Center opens
    • Spine Center opens
    • Saint Vincent earns Best Places to Work in PA ranking.
    • Lean Six Sigma is adopted as the #1 quality improvement philosophy for Saint Vincent.
    • Highmark Quality Blue Project-completed 100 percent of the quality performance standards and received a significant financial reward
    • Surgery Center is named a National Patient Satisfaction Leader-only one of seven in the United States to receive the Press Ganey Summit Award.
    • Saint Vincent receives the HAP Achievement Award for Human Resource's Customer Service Enhancement Program
    • Digital biplane technology developed to stop strokes and aneurysms in their tracks
    • Oncology Nurse Navigator and Breast Health Navigator programs introduced by Saint Vincent to assist cancer patients through diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
    • Saint Vincent becomes the region's largest residency training provider.
    • Great Lakes Family Medicine joins the Saint Vincent Medical Group
    2007
    • Saint Vincent is ranked #18 on the 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers over 50 list
    • Saint Vincent wins Best Places to Work in PA honors for the third time and moves up the list from #12 to #5.
    • Saint Vincent earned Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval by obtaining primary stroke certification.
    • Saint Vincent Stroke Alert Team celebrates their 1-year anniversary
    • Saint Vincent Call Center celebrates their 20-year anniversary and earned RelayHealth's 2007 ICARE award.
    • Saint Vincent Surgery Center, Erie's first and busiest same-day surgery center, also celebrated 20 years.
    • Westfield Memorial Hospital associates and physicians celebrated the hospital's 65th anniversary.
    • Northwest Pa. Workforce Investment Area Youth Services named Saint Vincent the Employer of the Year. Saint Vincent provided learning opportunities to 14 individuals through the program, and five have joined the staff.
    • Saint Vincent is the only company in Erie and one of six in Pennsylvania to receive the American Heart Association's first-ever Start! Fit-Friendly company award.
    • Saint Vincent's Maternal Child Health associates, physicians and midwives delivered a record number of babies-2,126. More babies come into the world at Saint Vincent than any other hospital in the region.
    • Saint Vincent Sports Medicine moved to a new location in Yorktown Center on West 12th Street. Sports Medicine, Rehab Solutions and the Saint Vincent Imaging Center are all located in the Yorktown Plaza.
    • The new medical office building opened on the Saint Vincent campus.
    • The HealthyU Associate Fitness Center opened on the lower level of the new medical office building.
    • Saint Vincent partnered with Erie Insurance Group and the Second Harvest Food Bank to provide fresh produce to those in need through the Community Harvest for Hunger. Associates from both organizations donated in excess of 1,300 pounds of fresh produce.
    2008
    • Saint Vincent was one of four hospitals in the nation to be awarded the American Hospital Association/McKesson Quest for Quality Award.
    • Saint Vincent was recognized as a Thomson/Reuters Top 100 Hospital for Cardiovascular Benchmarks for Success.
    • Saint Vincent was recognized as a Top 100 Hospital Performance Improvement Leader by Thomson/Reuters.
    • Saint Vincent received a designation from the American College of Radiology as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.
    • Saint Vincent Stroke Center earned the AHA/ASA Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Silver Performance Award.
    • The medical office building was officially dedicated in December of 2008. The Sister Margaret Ann Hardner building was dedicated in honor of sister's leadership and vision.
    • Saint Vincent opens the new Endoscopy Center in the Yorktown Commons building in November.
    • Saint Vincent opens PharmSV, a pharmacy dedicated to the needs of all SVHS associates and their families, as well as outpatient prescriptions.
    • The Saint Vincent Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) went under intense renovation and celebrated its grand opening in September. The new 10,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility features 19 individual, private pods for families to bond with their babies.
    • A new record number of babies-2,308- were delivered by the SVHS physicians and midwives in 2008. Twice as many babies were born at Saint Vincent than any other NWPA hospital.
    • Saint Vincent introduced the Pink Porches program in October to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nearly 1,600 pink light bulbs were sold during the campaign.