St. Joseph Medical Center (SJMC) is a
hospital
A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
in
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
. Part of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, it was the founding Washington operation of the former Franciscan Health System.
History
St. Joseph Medical Center was called St. Joseph Hospital when it was established by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in 1891.
As a part of the non-profit and faith-based Franciscan Health System, the mission of St. Joseph Medical Center is "to nurture the healing ministry of the Church by bringing it new life, energy and viability in the 21st century. Fidelity to the Gospel urges us to emphasize human dignity and social justice as we move toward the creation of healthier communities."
In 1969, an expansion was undertaken by
Bertrand Goldberg to provide an additional 260 beds.
In 2001, the
Nisqually Earthquake rocked the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...
with an
epicenter
The epicenter (), epicentre, or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Determination
The primary purpose of a ...
a mere 15 miles from Tacoma, where SJMC is located. Despite fears of building failure, SJMC withstood the 6.8 magnitude quake because it is made of
reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...
.
Services
As a
Level II trauma center
A trauma center, or trauma centre, is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. The term "trauma center" may be used incorr ...
, SJMC's services include 24-hour emergency medical care. In 2013 the hospital opened an upgraded
Level III NICU that operates in conjunction with Seattle Children's hospital.
SJMC offers inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical services; heart and vascular care; orthopedic services; cancer care; diagnostic imaging; physical, speech and occupational therapies. Hospice services are offered at the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Hospice House. Mental Health services are offered at Wellfound Behavioral Health. Rehabilitation services are offered at VMFH Rehabilitation Hospital.
The annual ED volume is reported by the staffing group to be about 47000.
See also
*
List of hospitals in Washington (state)
This is a list of hospitals in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, sorted by city and hospital name.
The first hospital in the modern-day state of Washington was established at Fort Vancouver in 1858, serving fur traders and local ...
References
External links
St. Joseph Medical Center official siteSisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia official siteWashington State Hospital Association official siteVirginia Mason Franciscan Health official site
Hospitals in Washington (state)
Franciscan hospitals
Buildings and structures in Tacoma, Washington
Hospitals established in 1891
Bertrand Goldberg buildings
Catholic hospitals in the United States
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