A History of Innovation And Quality Care
Providence has a deeply rooted history in Orange County that dates back to 1928, when our Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange broke ground on St. Joseph Hospital in Orange.
They were compelled to establish this hospital after Dr. Herbert Johnson, a noteworthy surgeon in Anaheim, appealed to them for the need of a modern hospital to serve the booming region.
St. Joseph Hospital opened to the public in 1929, becoming one of the very first hospitals in OC and setting the standard for quality, leading-edge care for the region. Upon opening, St. Joseph had less than 50 doctors on staff, one of whom, Dr. Milo Tedstrom, became the first internist and cardiologist in Orange County history.
Well into the 20th century, our Orange County doctors braved the elements in treating patients— everything from a flooding Santa Ana River trail to angry rattlesnakes. Today in 2020, Providence’s dedication to compassionate, quality care remains as steadfast and innovative as the precedent set by our Sisters and founding medical staff before us.
Providence Timeline
1650
The Sisters of St. Joseph are founded in Le Puy, France with a mission of serving the poor and suffering.
1912
Mother Bernard and the Sisters of St. Joseph arrive on the shores of Eureka, California with 60 cents to their name.
1918
The influenza pandemic erupts, leading the Sisters to care for the sick in their homes and demonstrating the need for hospitals.
1920
The Sisters purchase the old Northern California Hospital, renaming it as St. Joseph Hospital, after locals in Eureka became impressed with the care provided by the Sisters during the flu outbreak.
1922
The Sisters officially become the St. Joseph Sisters of Orange after moving their mothership to Orange in anticipation of growth in the region and a need for education and service.
1928
Dr. Herbert Johnston convinces the Sisters of St. Joseph to open a modern hospital in Orange County, and ground is broken on St. Joseph Hospital of Orange.
1929
St. Joseph Hospital of Orange opens to the public, and Dr. Milo Tedstrom admits the first patient.
1931
Following the success of St. Joseph Hospital, the Sisters purchase Fullerton General Hospital for $23,000.
1932
The Sisters of St. Joseph adopt special low rates for poor patients typically shut out of medical care.
1939
Actress Judy Garland visits a critically ill girl, who imagines herself to be Garland’s character Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, at St. Joseph Hospital, bringing her gifts and singing 'Over the Rainbow'.
1941
Mother Louis opens a School of Nursing at St. Joseph Hospital of Orange. Three months later, the United States enters World War II.
1948
Following the end of World War II, the School of Nursing closes and the building is converted to a 70-bed medical wing.
1952
Doctors at St. Joseph Hospital donate money as a group for the first time, paying for $3,000 worth of operating-room lights.
1953
After the Sisters close Fullerton General Hospital, Mother Felix and a group of physicians decide to build a new hospital named after St. Jude, the patron saint of desperate situations.
1957
As rain pours down, a crowd of 2,000 gathers to witness the opening of the new St. Jude Hospital. One reporter on the scene writes, “This is the day we have been waiting for. All of Orange County rejoices over the completion of the ultramodern St. Jude Hospital.”
1961
Dr. John Salyer of St. Joseph Hospital of Orange repairs a hole in the heart of five-year-old Steven Colliflower, successfully completing Orange County’s first open-heart surgery.
1963
Dr. Salyer again makes history, becoming the first surgeon on the entire West Coast to implant a pacemaker.
1970
St. Joseph Hospital begins Orange County’s first nuclear medicine program and performs the area’s first total hip-replacement surgery using the Charnley technique.
1971
The first inpatient rehabilitation unit in Orange County opens at the newly dubbed St. Jude Hospital and Rehabilitation Center.
1971
Mission Hospital opens in Mission Viejo to serve the growing local community.
1975
St. Joseph Hospital introduces the first privately run fetal monitoring unit in Southern California.
1976
St. Joseph Hospital dedicates its $5.6 million north wing, making St. Joseph and Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) the state’s third-largest private hospital complex, with 710 beds.
1982
St. Joseph Health System is established in order to bring the Sisters of St. Joseph’s hospitals and organizations under one business entity.
1986
St. Joseph Hospital opens the Regional Cancer Center, Orange County’s first comprehensive outpatient cancer-care facility.
1988
St. Jude launches Orange County’s first mobile health clinic to provide care for the uninsured.
1990
St. Jude is renamed to St. Jude Medical Center in order to reflect its comprehensive care services.
1993
Mission Hospital partners with CHOC Children’s to provide state-of-the-art pediatric services.
1994
Mission Hospital becomes a member of the St. Joseph Health family.
1996
St. Joseph Hospital opens the first pediatric emergency room in Orange County.
1998
With the help of a gift from the Crosson Family, St. Jude Medical Center opens the Virginia K. Crosson Cancer Center, establishing one of the region’s finest cancer treatment programs.
2001
Readers of The Orange County Register vote St. Joseph Hospital as the Best Place to Volunteer in Orange County.
2003
St. Joseph Hospital’s emergency room logs more than 97,000 visits, making it the busiest ER in Orange County.
2005
The St. Jude Medical Plaza opens its doors, hosting the Virginia K. Crosson Cancer Center, Kathryn T. McCarty Breast Center, Fred A. Jordan Family Radiation Oncology Center, St. Jude Heritage Medical Group and the Ann G. Fetters Diagnostic Imaging Center.
2007
A four-story, 248,000-square-foot expansion is completed for St. Joseph Hospital’s Patient Care Center.
2009
Mission Hospital acquires Mission Hospital Laguna Beach, expanding its geographic footprint to include South Orange County, and St. Jude’s $125 million Southwest Patient Tower opens to meet growing community needs.
2014
St. Jude Medical Center’s Northwest Tower opens, offering California’s most state-of-the-art surgical environment.
2016
Providence Health & Services and St. Joseph Health System officially merge, creating Providence St. Joseph Health.
2017
Providence St. Jude Medical Center earns national honors and awards in areas from orthopedics and cancer treatment, to stroke care and robotic surgery, and is named one of Southern California's top hospitals by U.S. News and World Report.
2019
Providence Mission Hospital's state-of-the-art Judi and Bill Leonard Institute for Cancer Prevention, Treatment and Wellness debuts to provide specialized cancer care.
2020
Providence St. Joseph Health rebrands to Providence, while still incorporating the cross logo of St. Joseph Health.
2020
Providence St. Joseph Hospital of Orange embarks on a $16 million expansion of a new Progressive Care Unit to meet the local aging community’s need for expanded services.
2021
Ground will be broken on Providence St. Joseph Hospital of Orange's new Helen Caloggero Women's and Family Center to bring mother-baby services to one central location.