In the late 1930s, Saint Francis Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, added a new annex to its campus. That addition housed clinics, dispensaries, laboratories and a 30-bed maternity ward.Saint Francis Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, has been marking its centennial with a monthlong celebration that began with an Oct. 16 Mass and blessing event led by Bishop William Koenig of the Diocese of Wilmington.
Other anniversary events have included an Oct. 24 health fair and unveiling of a centennial mural as well as an open house that day to introduce attendees to The Healthy Village at Saint Francis Hospital.
The Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia founded the hospital "on top of the hill" in Wilmington's Little Italy neighborhood. During a " Beyond the Stethoscope" podcast — a production of the Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic region — James Woodward talked about the hospital's 100-year legacy. He explained that the sisters established the facility to bridge a gap in services for Wilmington's large immigrant community, most of them Italian laborers. Woodward is retiring as the Mid-Atlantic region's president and CEO in January.
Left: Beginning in 1950, Saint Francis Hospital began modernizing its campus. In August 1964, the hospital completed that expansion, bringing the hospital's capacity to 140 beds. Right: In response to the advancement of technology and community need, Saint Francis Hospital replaced its original building that had been constructed in 1924 with a seven-story one. This groundbreaking ceremony launched that construction project. In 1975, Saint Francis completed the building, which featured an emergency room, intensive care unit, an X-ray area and new technology and services.Woodward said on the podcast that Saint Francis grew over time to meet the needs of the local population — at the height of that growth it had more than 300 beds. But over the past three decades or so, as the community's population has changed and as the dynamics of health care delivery have morphed, Saint Francis has shifted how it provides care. It has been providing more care on an outpatient basis and less on an inpatient basis. The hospital also has increased its focus on ensuring patients can access the social services they need.
Saint Francis unveiled this new mural on its campus to celebrate its centennial.The shifts led to a decrease in inpatient bed count, to about 70. Woodward explained that the shift opened space on campus. Saint Francis has been transforming that unused space into its Healthy Village, a hub that houses multiple community service providers. This includes a behavioral health provider, a hospice, a children's health care provider and a program for women reentering society after release from incarceration.
Woodward said from the start, Saint Francis' evolution has been driven by community need. He said the sisters' philosophy was that it was essential to assess that need, figure out how best to address it and then reassess over time to determine what changes are needed. That philosophy still guides decision-making at Saint Francis, he said.