In 1890, our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton opened a 25-bed general hospital. Over the last 130 years, we’ve established our reputation as a leading academic, multi-site hospital. In June 2020, we are celebrating 130 years of caring for our community and beyond.
Our pioneering spirit at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton began in 1852 when the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton arrived to care for those most in need, a commitment that only intensified with the outbreak of cholera. Compassionate care for all is the Sisters’ legacy when they opened the doors of our hospital 130 years ago. This legacy continues to be infused in the foundation of the work we do each day at St. Joe’s, especially as we face the current COVID-19 pandemic together.
Over the last 130 years, each one of our employees, physicians, learners and volunteers have been committed to excellence and dedicated to discovery. In honour of all you have built together and all of the lives you have touched, we’re sharing some St. Joe’s ‘Then and Now’ photo moments.
Click and drag the bar in the centre of the photos to reveal the ‘Then & Now’ photos.
Pictured Above
Left photo: Sr. Euphrasia (left) and Sr. Angela (right)
Right photo: David Czaplinski, Registered Nurse, Waterfall 1 (left) with a laptop on wheels and Basma Ghwila, Patient Clerk Unit Clerk, Waterfall 1 (right) using a smart screen as a computer monitor
Pictured Above:
Top Photo: Sr. Jane (right) with patient in dialysis in the 80’s.
Bottom Photo: Randy Orlicki, Registered Nurse in our dialysis unit.
Pictured Above
Left photo: Sr. Mary Austin Reding in the busy nursery. Sr. Mary served in Maternity at St. Joe’s from 1957 – 1961.
Right photo: Justine Brown, Registered Nurse, Special Care Nursery.
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Top photo: Sr. Teresita McInally, General Superior, 1990.
Bottom photo: Jennifer Olarte-Godoy, Nurse Educator, Mood Disorders, F1 and Nursing Resource Team
Thank you for 130 years of Leading, Learning, Building and Caring.
Be ready to be inspired and humbled.
“Say Little, Do Much”, is a 55 minute documentary produced in 2020 by Kevin Moynihan of KM Productions (Halifax) which tells the story of Roman Catholic Women Religious in Canada’s Health Care system who, beginning in 1639 with the arrival of three Augustinian Sisters from Dieppe, France, in Quebec City to found the first hospital in North America to today. These women created a health care system that was caring, competent and not-for-profit and that was ultimately modeled in Canada in the late 1950’s as Medicare.
“Say Little, Do Much” is a quote attributed to St. Vincent de Paul, as he encouraged the order of Women Religious he co-founded to go into the world and care for the most vulnerable in society, and that is what these women did. In Canada they built 278 Hospitals and 145 Long Term Care facilities throughout the country over a period of almost 400 years.
This is their story.