new heritage wall - SSM Health Care

1970s
1950s -1960s
1980s
The Physical Therapy Department at
St. Joseph Hospital was established in 1961.
Postcard of St. Joseph Hospital, 1950s
Admissions, 1950s
The second phase of the “C” wing expansion was the “D” wing, which was added to the north
side. The new wing included housekeeping, central service, administration and five patient
care floors.
The hospital’s main entrance on Third Street, 1973. A two-level parking
garage was added on the other side of Third Street that year.
Aerial photo of hospital campus, 1974
Construction on the “E” wing began in 1981 and
was completed in 1983. The new area included
emergency, surgery, lab and intensive care.
Aerial view of the campus in the early 1980s. The hospital first was
designated as a Level II Trauma Center in 1981, and has held the
designation since.
Radiology, 1960s
In 1982, the hospital’s name
officially changed to
St. Joseph Health Center.
Pictured is Bill Schoenhard,
the hospital’s Executive
Director from 1982-1987.
St. Joseph’s newsletter
chronicled the “B” wing
expansion in 1977.
The 1924 and 1945
hospital structures
were remodeled,
expanded and named
the “B” wing.
In 1985, St. Joseph participated in a St. Charles parade with a float
that celebrated its centennial year.
The new Odilian Gift Shop, located off the lobby, boasted expanded space, merchandise
and fundraising potential.
The “A” wing along Second Street was completed in 1961.
This six-story addition was entirely air-conditioned. The wing
included 76 beds for medical and surgical patients, delivery and
labor rooms, a modern surgical suite, recovery room, radiology,
laboratory, laundry and power plant.
Mass in the Chapel at St. Joseph Hospital.
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital’s “Glennon Adolescent and Pediatric
Unit” opened at St. Joseph Health Center in 1982.
In 1969, the “C” wing was dedicated, completing the first part of
a two-phase expansion that started in 1966. The new wing was a
five-story structure housing the emergency and radiology
departments, pharmacy, intensive care unit, patient area, chapel
and cafeteria. The third floor had an additional 18 patient beds,
bringing the hospital’s total capacity to 205 beds.
The hospital’s first cardiac catheterization laboratory and special procedures
area opened in 1986. The lab offered multiple forms of invasive cardiac
test procedures to determine the severity, location and degree of possible
heart problems.
Nurses inspect state-of-the-art cardiac monitoring equipment
in a new intensive care unit, which opened in 1969.
St. Joseph Health Center became the first hospital in the area
to introduce birthing rooms—a new concept in obstetrics that
offered a relaxed atmosphere and the convenience of a one-room
procedure in birthing.
St. Joseph Hospital Laundry, 1960s
St. Joseph Hospital in 1961. The house in the photograph was owned by three
siblings. All three attended St. Peter Church across the street, did not drive and
had jobs on Main Street so they could walk to work.
When first approached by the hospital, they didn’t want to sell, but later agreed
to move if the hospital could find and purchase them a home nearby. A home was
purchased for them in the 300 block of Madison Street.
When the hospital later needed that home for the “C” wing expansion, another
home was purchased for them at 330 Tompkins Street.
St. Joseph Health Center’s first Medical Office Building opened in
1988. Physician specialists moved their offices into the building,
providing convenience for both physicians and patients.
On December 15, 1986, St. Joseph
Hospital West opened in Lake
Saint Louis.
1950: Canadian John Hopps
invented world’s first
cardiac pacemaker.
1953: First successful open heart surgery
using heart-lung machine performed at
Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia.
1954: First successful kidney
transplant was performed
in Boston.
1956: American Cancer
Society links
cigarette smoking
to lung cancer.
1957: Ultrasound was invented by the
English physician Ian Donald.
1960: National Lung Association
launched an antismoking campaign
with the message, “Kick the Habit.”
1963: First liver transplant
performed.
1964: First vaccine for
measles.
1965: Congress passes legislation creating Medicare and Medicaid.
Congress passes law requiring label on cigarette packages:
“Warning: Cigarette Smoking may be Hazardous to your Health.”
1967: World’s first human heart transplant performed by
Christiaan Barnard in Cape Town, South Africa.
First coronary bypass operation using person’s vein
performed in Ohio.
1970: Pediatric respirator greatly reduced
infant mortality for babies with
respiratory problems.
1973: CAT scan invented by
Godfrey Hounsfield
and Allan Cormack.
1974: Chicken pox vaccine established.
Raymond Damadian, American physician, was granted a patent on
his invention of the magnetic resonance imaging device.
1977: First vaccine for
pneumonia.
1981: First vaccine
for hepatitis B.
1982: First heart and lung
transplant performed.
1983: HIV, the virus that causes AIDS,
was identified.
1987: First brain tissue
transplant performed.
1988: Patricia Bath became the first African-
American woman doctor to receive a
patent for a medical invention.
1951: St. Louis population began migrating westward
to St. Louis County and St. Charles County.
1956: The hospital employed
200 and payroll was
$412,000; 21 Sisters
contributed services.
1957: Hospital opened pediatric unit.
1959: Blanchette Memorial Bridge opened,
carrying Interstate 70 traffic across the
Missouri River between St. Louis County
and St. Charles County.
1961: Six-story,
air-conditioned
east wing opened.
1962: Population of St. Charles
was 21,289.
1966: Ground breaking for the first
phase (First Capitol addition) of
a seven-year building program.
1969: Original 1891 hospital building vacated
after the “C” wing was completed.
1972: First patient admitted to new
150-bed “D” wing.
1974: Pastoral Care Department was established. 1976: Extensive modernization and
1978: St. Joseph Hospital adds oncology and
renovation began throughout
orthopedic units.
the hospital.
Hospital’s “B” wing added 71 more beds.
1980: St. Joseph Perinatal
Clinic opened.
1981: St. Joseph received
state-designation as a
Level II Trauma Center.
1982: St. Joseph Hospital name changed
to St. Joseph Health Center.
1984: Heliport added outside
Emergency Department entrance.
1986: St. Joseph Hospital
West opened.
1987: St. Joseph performed its
first open heart surgery.