Our History
Learn About Our Legacy in the Worcester Community
Saint Vincent has been an important part of the Central Massachusetts community for well over 100 years. During that time, we have grown to be able to help more of those in our community in new and
exciting ways, without losing the care and compassion that have made us a trusted part of the community for so long.
Our Origins
Founded as a small Catholic community hospital by the Sisters of Providence in 1893, the original 12-bed hospital overlooked the city of Worcester from Vernon Hill. The facility was first named after Saint Vincent de Paul, the patron saint
of the Sister’s order.
Growing to Serve Worcester and More
Shortly after opening, the Sisters found that their 12-bed hospital was not able to keep up with the needs of the community and promptly expanded, building a second Worcester hospital next door that was able to
accommodate an additional 30 patients. In 1898, the hospital was incorporated, and in 1899, the Sisters expanded into a 150-bed building to further their ability to care for the community. Despite this incredible expansion, the need for hospital rooms
was still quite great, so the sisters added an additional 60-bed wing in 1918.
Filling Important Needs
As the hospital began to grow, it became clear that there was a great need for quality nurses in the area. In response, the Worcester hospital opened a nursing school in 1900. In addition to the nursing school, a residence
for both Sisters and student nurses was constructed in 1922. The nursing school flourished for many years, until it was finally closed in 1988. While the nursing school officially closed, the great legacy of nursing instruction continues today at Saint
Vincent Hospital.
Continued Growth
Throughout the years, demand for quality health care continued to grow. In 1964, a five-story service wing addition to the main hospital was completed. Just a year later, the Bishop Wright Pavilion was added, which provided facilities
for a 51-bed psychiatric unit, a 45-bed maternity section and a 52-bed surgical floor. Saint Luke’s Hall also opened in 1965, and provided living accommodations for both residents and interns at the hospital.
In the years that followed,
new additions were created to keep up with growing technologies and needs. These included the Anderson Building in 1969, built to house the Data Processing Center; the Rose Building in 1970, which contained laboratories and research facilities; and an
amphitheater and modern medical library added in 1984.
Becoming a True Health Care System
In 1983, Saint Vincent Hospital was corporately reorganized to reflect its expansion from a Worcester hospital into a diversified health care system. The corporate parent became Saint Vincent Healthcare System Inc.,
and its subsidiaries included Saint Vincent Hospital, Certified Nursing Services (a home health agency), three skilled nursing facilities known as the Providence House Nursing Homes and a laboratory called CliniTech.
In 1990, Saint Vincent
Healthcare System merged with the Fallon Healthcare System, creating the first vertically integrated health care delivery system in the area. Together, Saint Vincent and Fallon developed plans to replace the current hospital facility with a first-class,
high-tech medical complex called Medical City, which was later renamed Worcester Medical Center.
A New Home
In February of 1997, the groundbreaking for the new Worcester Medical Center project housing Saint Vincent Hospital, several Fallon Clinic offices and Independent Physician Practices began. On April 1, 2000, Saint Vincent Hospital moved
to the new state-of-the-art facility and to this day, continues its mission of providing compassionate and quality health care to the Greater Worcester community.
In January 2005, Vanguard Health System purchased the facility. In 2013,
Tenet Healthcare acquired Vanguard and continues to follow the longstanding Catholic tradition of quality care first established by the Sisters of Providence.
Historical Photos
View our collection of historical photos below. For more information about Saint Vincent Hospital and the services we provide, explore our site or call (508) 363-5000.
