 At the invitation of community leaders J.D. Tennant and
R.S. Wertheimer,
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace arrived in Longview to operate the
Longview Memorial Hospital on December 1, 1943.
Since that date, the hospital has experienced a consistent state of growth and expansion under the guidance of a succession of outstanding administrators, such as Sister Patricia McGuiness, Sister Eleanor Gilmore, Sister Mary Keough, Sister Anne Hayes, Margaret Chuman and, most recently, Darrel Bennett and Mark McGourty. Building expansions and major equipment purchases have kept the hospital in a "state-of-the-art" condition over the past fifty years, making it an attractive place for physicians to practice and to care for their patients. The purchase of Monticello Medical Center from the Sutter Health System in 1987 was an attempt to combine the strengths of both hospitals into a single entity that could better serve the health care needs of the people of this region. The quality and availability of a community’s health care resources are generally clear indicators of the community’s economic and civic well-being. Good facilities help to attract good businesses, good executives and good employees. As several community leaders soon realized, the continuation of excellent medical care at St. John would ultimately require the availability of long-term financial assistance. It was in this spirit that the St. John Medical Center Foundation was born to generate these kind of resources. The Foundation has engaged in some highly successful campaigns for the medical center’s cancer and trauma programs and has developed an active and promising endowment program. As health care reform brings many changes over the next few years, our Foundation is committed to help meet the health care needs of the region into the 21st century—the century of our children and grandchildren. No matter what changes take place in health care, our goal continues to be to work together to promote and provide healthier and happier futures for the people of our communities. |
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Mission |