Our History   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Five Catholic Founding Congregations of Sisters (Extended Histories) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ST. PAUL'S HOSPITAL + the Sisters of Providence St. Paul's began when Mother Emilie Gamelin a widow, distinguished by her ardent charity towards the poor and unfortunate of all classes, founded the Sisters of Providence, a Catholic women's religious order dedicated to heeding Christ's call to compassionate services, in Montreal in 1843. The Sisters of Providence established schools, hospitals, orphanages, homes for the aged and asylums in Canada and the United States and later in many other countries. In B.C., St. Paul's Hospital and Saint Mary's Hospital in New Westminster are operated by the order. Responding to the Bishop Paul Durieu, OMI, of New Westminster, who urged the sisters to consider the needs of a growing Vancouver, two representatives of the Sisters of Providence came north from Portland Oregon in 1892. They bought seven lots on the outskirts of Vancouver for $9,000 and a 25-bed hospital was completed in 1894, and named after the Bishop. Mother Mary Fredrick from Astoria, Oregon became the first Superior and administrator of the hospital. In keeping with the philosophy of the Sisters of Providence, the new hospital was founded on the pledge of providing compassionate care. The surge in Vancouver's growth brought on by the Klondike gold rush severely tested that pledge but it wasn't until later, in 1904, that the first of what seems an endless stream of additions was completed, adding 50 more beds. September 1, 1907 saw the official opening of a School of Nursing at St. Paul's Hospital. Just 10 years after the first addition was completed, a modern fireproof structure with a new surgical department and 120 beds was added in 1914. St. Paul's was, from the beginning, keenly interested in using the latest medical technology. In addition to laboratory testing, the hospital became one of the first to have its very own X-ray machine, circa 1906. Using glass plate negatives the exposures took from 15 to 45 seconds, threatening to burn patients and electrocute operators in the process. As Vancouver grew and the administration of health care became ever more complex and specialized, St. Paul's kept pace. In 1919, the Sisters of Providence responded to the challenge of the American College of Surgeons and the Catholic Hospitals Association to standardize hospital services with those of the larger centres throughout the U.S. and Canada. The program established formal requirements for the efficient operation of X-ray and laboratory departments. Great emphasis was placed on the keeping of patient records, as previously few history and progress notes were written. Until 1968, the chief administrator at St. Paul's was a member of the Sisters of Providence. The first lay Administrator was hired in 1969 and ran the hospital while the Sisters continued their involvement in the hospital and on the hospital board. With the completion of the North Wing, in 1931, and the South Wing during World War II, St. Paul's expanded to 500 beds. In the 1960s, as medical knowledge and treatments quickly evolved, St. Paul's again kept abreast through the addition of ultra-modern diagnostic facilities. But it wasn't enough. In the 1970s plans were made to remake the whole institution to efficiently fulfill its new role as a referral and tertiary care centre with the ability to respond to changing needs in community care. Two 10-story towers were completed in 1983 and 1991. St. Paul's remains committed to providing comprehensive health care but it also recognizes that it needs to provide an atmosphere that encourages medical, nursing & staff excellence. To attract the best staff, it needed to involve itself in specialized education and research. As a result, St. Paul's has identified the areas of heart disease, kidney disease, nutritional disorders, HIV treatment and the care of the disadvantaged for the establishment of major programs. Finally, St. Paul's wants to involve itself in programs that proactively move health care from the treatment of disease in hospitals, to the management of wellness in the community. To do this St. Paul's hopes to stretch its hand of caring into the local community more effectively, and further strengthen the goals of the Sisters of Providence to provide compassionate, effective care to those in need, and to bring hope for tomorrow. << Back << The Five Catholic Founding Congregations of Sisters
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