They have a rich history in the Chattahoochee Valley and St. Francis-Emory Healthcare invites the community to join them for a milestone anniversary event tomorrow, Sunday, November 9, from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm.
It includes children’s activities, bounce houses, Teddy bear clinics, and performances from the many organizations the hospital supports, including the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus, the Springer Theater Academy, and several area schools.
Health information booths, cooking demonstrations, and visits with physicians are also part of the celebration. Families can enter the event at the Butler Pavilion on the south side of the hospital off Woodruff Road.
A rich history of healthcare
In 1946, a diverse group of Columbus citizens, who had formed the Columbus Planning Association, drove across the state to Savannah to meet with Catholic Bishop Gerald O’Hara, who had played a significant role in successfully raising money for a Catholic hospital in Augusta.
They believed one of the city’s most important needs was an improvement in health care services. The absence of quality services not only reduced the quality of life in Columbus, but it also made the city less desirable for new businesses.
Bishop O’Hara said if the city raised $500,000, he would support it. In 1946, half a million dollars was a lot of money, especially after more than four years of war had drained the local economy. Undaunted, the diverse and ecumenical group said they would raise the money if Bishop O’Hara would help find an order of nursing nuns to staff it.
The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, based in Millvale, PA, were recruited to staff the new hospital. They had an established and successful record at St. Francis Hospital in Pittsburgh, had a reputation for providing a superior level of nursing care. This would be their first and only mission in the South.
Thanks to local donations from 10 cents to $60,000, matching funds from the Sisters and federal community hospital construction funds, a total of $1,565,000 was raised to build St. Francis Hospital.
A little more than a year later, on March 13, 1950, a five-story, red brick building was dedicated. The new hospital was named for the Sisters’ patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, who devoted himself to caring for the sick and the poor.
Remembering its history and moving forward
St. Francis-Emory Healthcare always remembers its roots. Founded as a Christian ministry 75 years ago, their focus on faith and its importance to the healing process is still evident today.
According to St. Francis-Emory Healthcare’s latest community report, the hospital has added 80 affiliated providers in areas such as Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Cardiovascular Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Neurology, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Orthopedics, Pathology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Tele-Neurology, Tele-Radiology, and Vascular Surgery. They have spent more than $1.8 million on capital improvements, which included a bladder scanner system, two portable X-ray machines, a new Sonosite for portable imaging, and new Ultrasound machines.
The hospital also provided more than $40 million in services to those in need of healthcare but without the means to pay.
Since opening their doors in 1950, St. Francis – Emory Healthcare now has 376 beds on two campuses, more than 2,500 associates, and 300 physicians. They offer a full range of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room services, including the only open-heart surgery program in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley.
Enjoy the celebration for one of the area’s longest running healthcare institutions.
