Pacific Christian Hospital was a hospital in
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.
As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...
, United States. It was opened by Eugene Bible University (EBU) and International Bible Mission (IBM) at East 12th and Hilyard streets on March 17, 1924. The person behind this enterprise was
Eugene Claremont Sanderson
Eugene C. Sanderson (March 24, 1859 – February 16, 1940) was an American Christian minister and educator who founded Eugene Divinity School (EDS) in Eugene, Oregon in 1895. Today this school is known as Bushnell University. He served as it ...
, who founded Eugene Divinity School (EDS) in 1895 across Alder Street from the hospital.
EDS and EBU are now known as
Bushnell University
Bushnell University is a private Christian university in Eugene, Oregon. It is historically affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Christian churches and churches of Christ. The institution was renamed from North ...
. The original hospital building was later remodeled and subsequently demolished. The facility is now known as
PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center University District and is in the same location.
Need and construction
There was a dire need for a good medical facility in Eugene in the early 1920s. Local citizens, because of Sanderson's reputation, looked to him to develop such a facility. In 1922, the EBU Board of Trustees authorized him to erect the hospital and conduct a fundraising campaign. Construction of the six-story building began in February 1923 and it was dedicated on March 16, 1924. The facility cost about $225,000 to build.
Organization
In March 1928, Pacific Christian Hospital was incorporated as a separate entity, but it was still financially tied to EBU and IBM. It was composed of three institutions: the hospital itself; the former Catholic-run
Mercy Christian Hospital on
College Hill in Eugene, which was purchased in 1927 and rededicated to sanitarium work; and a hospital in
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is the county seat of Ford County, Kansas, Ford County, Kansas, United States, named after nearby Fort Dodge (US Army Post), Fort Dodge. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 27,788. The c ...
which had exhausted its funds and was turned over to IBM in 1928. The other two facilities are long since closed.
Nursing program
A nursing school at EBU was an integral part of the operation of the facility. A three-year program resulted in a degree as a
registered nurse
A registered nurse (RN) is a nurse who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized licensing body to o ...
from EBU. The first class was admitted in 1925 and graduated in 1927. The last class graduated in 1929 with the remaining students transferring to hospitals in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
. The average class size was about 10.
Creditors and sale
During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, EBU and IBM found themselves overextended and needed to scale back operations to just the Eugene campus. Creditors had foreclosed on the hospital and a group of local doctors agreed to temporarily manage it until a buyer could be found. Thus, the hospital was sold to the Catholic order of the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Newark for $50,000. It reopened on July 1, 1936 as Sacred Heart General Hospital with 75 beds and a staff of 35.
The expanded and remodeled facility was the main hospital in Eugene until Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend was opened in neighboring
Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
in 2008.
References
{{reflist
1924 establishments in Oregon
Buildings and structures in Eugene, Oregon
Defunct hospitals in Oregon
Hospitals established in 1924