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History

The history of Buffalo's first hospital - established in 1848.

In the mid-nineteenth century Buffalo was the spearhead of a growing frontier on its way to becoming a major transportation center. One of the few things the Queen City lacked during this period was a hospital. Sisters is Western New York's first hospital with a history which began in 1848 when Bishop John Timon traveled to Baltimore to request the services of the Sisters of Charity. Shortly after his Baltimore visit, six Sisters made the journey to Buffalo to begin their work.

The Bishop had purchased a brick schoolhouse and adjoining cottage on Pearl Place. He turned the property over to the newly arrived Sisters, who used the site as the first location of Sisters Hospital.

Within a year of its opening, Sisters Hospital was faced with its first test when four cholera epidemics struck Western New York. Patients jammed the hospital. Many recovered but the epidemic claimed 900 lives before subsiding.

With their first major challenge behind them, the Daughters of Charity began to expand their service, establishing St. Mary's Infant Asylum and Maternity Hospital in 1854. The hospital, at Elmwood and Edward Streets, cared for orphans and unwed mothers. It closed in 1951.

In 1860 Bishop Timon felt the diocese needed an institution for he care of the mentally ill. The Daughters of Charity opened Providence Retreat the following year on the site of the present Sisters Ho9spital at Main and Humboldt. The 30-acre site was purchased from Dr. Austin Flint, the first medial staff chief at Sisters Hospital.

As Buffalo continued to grow, so did the medial needs of its people. The first hospital site on Pearl Place became too small and anew site on Main and Delavan was purchased.

The new hospital accommodating 300 patients, was completed in 1876. From 1877 to 1882, some 4,420 patients were treated at a total expense of $19,000. About half the patients were charity cases.

By 1844 there were four separate Daughters of Charity hospitals, each fulfilling a specific need in the community - Sisters Hospital for the sick at Main and Delavan, St. Mary's Infant Asylum and Maternity Hospital for orphans and unwed mothers, Providence Retreat for the mentally ill and Emergency Hospital at Pine and Eagle Streets, opened in 1884.

Established as a downtown branch of Sisters Hospital, Emergency Hospital was taken over by the Diocese of Buffalo in 1954. It is now knows as Sheehan Memorial Hospital and is privately owned.

No longer satisfying a public need, Providence Retreat was closed in 1940. In 1942 Sisters Hospital opened the St. Louise de Marillac Maternity Hospital in the Providence Retreat building.

Sisters Hospital remained at Main and Delavan until 1948 when it moved to its present location, absorbing St. Louise de Marillac Hospital into it maternity unit and thus consolidating all the Sisters of Charity health care services.

Over the years, many additions have been made to Sisters Hospital to better serve the Buffalo area.

The first addition, built in 1948, currently houses the hospital's Emergency Department, Family Health Center, patient rooms, and outpatient treatment areas.

A five-story building added in 1965 changed the face of Sisters Hospital. The building contains administrative offices, the maternity department, patient rooms, conference areas, medical record department and physician lounge. Another addition was constructed in 1967 where the Pharmacy, Central Supply, Diagnostic Imaging, and Purchasing departments are now located.

Two additions completed in 1974 are the Seton Professional Building and the Skilled Nursing Facility (now known as the St. Catherine Laboure Health Center). The Seton Building contains medical and commercial offices along with extension offices of the hospital. The St. Catherine facility houses a concentration of rehabilitative services including physical and occupational therapy, social work, and an 80-bed skilled nursing facility. As part of Re-Vis8ion 2000, a major modernization completed in 1994, two more stories were added to the building and in 1992, new intensive care and coronary care units opened followed in early 1993 with the opening of a new surgical department.

Also a part of Re-Vision 2000, a new information systems and finance building was opened in 1992. The building is named after Sr. Mary Charles Dever, a former hospital president.

The project also included construction of a new entrance and lobby, admissions department and ambulatory care wing.

The history of Sisters Hospital is reflected by its service to Buffalo's poor, mentally ill and orphaned since 1848. The hospital has grown tremendously from that one small building in 1848 to a network of health care facilities. As a member of Catholic Health, Sisters is part of a network of care with over 10,000 employees and over 1,200 physicians.