St. Vincen’ts Hospital
A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH ST. VINCENT’S
Looking at the history of St. Vincent’s takes us back to the year 1903. At the corner of Main Street and Hawley Avenue, then the last stop on a Bridgeport trolley line, a piece of farmland became the sight of what we know today as St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Recognizing the need for a medical facility, a priest from St. Patrick’s Church in Bridgeport had ventured to Maryland to seek the help of the Sisters of Mercy. With their assistance secured, the dream of a hospital became a reality. A new facility was erected for $250,000 to serve the needs of the community.
As time progressed, a nurses training facility was started at St. Vincent’s. The year was 1905. This undertaking took the field of medicine a step further in patient care. The training and medical procedures were totally different back then. The nuns supervised many of the basic daily operations. As the years passed the needs of the community increased dramatically. By 1920, a new wing was planned at St. Vincent’s Hospital. Once that was built, medicine and medical technology at St. Vincent’s took on a whole new meaning. When the 1950’s arrived more demands were placed on the facility. Around that time the use of x-ray machines and other new technologies were developed and put into use. Patients benefited from the modern medicine, equipment and care,
Still more changes came as the 1970’s arrived. A new medical center was built behind the former one on Main Street. A new name was put into place as the health care institution’s name was changed to St. Vincent’s Medical Center. In the 1950’s, many new surgical procedures were put into place. Patient heart care, for example provided for better chances of survival for those with cardiac needs. T
Today St. Vincent’s ranks in the top 100 hospitals in heart care in the United States. The facility has truly become a health care leader in the 21st century. As we look back at the last century that St. Vincent’s has served our community we certainly can appreciate the hard work, compassion and dedication of the hospitals’ former and present staff. I’d like to extend my personal thanks for past and present St. Vincent’s employees, without your dreams, aspirations, dedication and passion our community would never had benefited so much as it has. St. Vincent’s and Bridgeport Hospital provide care on a 24/7 basis every day of the week. They give the city a more positive image. We as a community should be grateful that what was once a dream is now a reality.
