The "I'm Not Giving Up! Take Back St. Joseph's" Story

Preface: The following intro- duction telling of the history of the St. Joseph's Hospital was taken from several pages of information I have accumulated from the web.  I have tried to condense much of what I read while still keeping the story accurate.  St. Joseph's Hospital, later renamed UPMC Pinnacle, is now closed.  And, people are not happy about it.  How did this happen?  Why did it happen?  No one seems to have the answers to the questions.  What will come of it?  A group of faithful residents have formed a community group to see what can be done.  This story will attempt to give you some information into the hospital and what may be done in the future. 

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a Facebook Page known as "The Lancastrian."  As I scrolled down I found post after post after post about the St. Joseph Hospital in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

St. Joseph's Hospital was built as a charity hospital in 1878 and was the first hospital in Lancaster County.  It was built and operated by St. John of God Order of Brothers and almost immediately ran into financial difficulties.  The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia took over the hospital in 1883 with an operating budget of $2.50, two apples and a mission to minister to the sick and poor.  

When they arrived, the building didn't have electricity, running water or beds.  Despite being met with a strong anti-Catholic sentiment, the Sisters won over the community by their devotion to the community and the care they gave to their patients.  The Sisters, who worked tirelessly without a salary for many years, scrubbing floors, cooking the food for their patients, keeping medical records and washing all the clothes and linens of the hospital, also provided spiritual support to their patients with daily visits by the pastoral care department, most of whom were not Catholic.  

Their devotion and care of their patients and for the community became known throughout Lancaster.  In 1884, the first operating room was established and the hospital became incorporated in 1885.  At the turn of the century, a new wing was built for surgery and The Training School for Nurses was established in 1902.  In 1944 I was born in the hospital and three years later my wife was also born in this hospital.  In 1971, our oldest son was born in the hospital.  So, you see, we all have a stake in what may happen to this hospital on College Avenue.  

A bit more follows:  In 1950, the community partnered with the Sisters in recognition of their care and devotion, the original Victorian building was replaced by new buildings.  Serving 121 patients in their first year, over the next 120 years St. Joseph's evolved into a speciality hospital with a medical staff that encompassed over 30 medical specialities.  Due to the dwindling number of women becoming nuns, the Sisters' ability to continue their service at the hospital was becoming impossible, and their devotion and service to the community was costing the hospital millions of dollars.  

They reluctantly sold the hospital in 2000 to a for-profit Florida chain, which renamed the hospital Lancaster Regional Medical Center, who in turn sold it in 2017 to UPMC Pinnacle.  Then in December of 2018, the Lancaster community was told UPMC Pinnacle, one of only two hospitals in Lancaster City, was slated to close by March 1st.  It now has been closed for some time, but...not dead yet!!  In 2019 a vigil was held to talk about St. Joseph's Hospital.  This place is an important part of Lancaster's history.  It is our blood, sweat and tears that went into this hospital and the battle needs to be fought. (Ann Wenger)  We pray to you, God and thank you for the strength you have given us to fight this and we pray the extra strength to keep on fighting this. (Pastor Kevin Brown).

On the final weekend the hospital's doors were open, The Lancaster Healthcare Rights Committee hosted a "Weekend of Action" and hosted a public forum for the Lancaster community.  Members of "Put People First! PA" from across the state joined and assisted the Lancaster Healthcare Rights Committee with the community forum and it was a success.  The forum was filled with personal stories, group discussions and a slide show showing the timeline of the hospital.  Story after story was told and the local TV stations covered the event on the evening news.    It is time to "Take Back St. Joseph's."  It was decided to address City Council and the County Commissioners at upcoming meetings.  On the Facebook page,  post after post told the story of the hospital.  

Close to 80 comments were posted.  Recently, during this stressful time of fighting an unseen enemy, it was suggested that the hospital be equipped for the homeless and perhaps extra beds for fighting the Coronavirus.  Why not?  How much would have to be done to get it working.  Since it was last used, were all the beds taken from the rooms?  Is there no more furniture in the place.  Do the elevators no longer operate?  Is the electricity still turned on?  Is there running water still available in the building?  Many questions need to be answered, but...why not see if it is possible.  Maybe the "Take Back St. Joseph's" group can get to the bottom of all of this.  I'm sure the city of Lancaster will be better because of it.  And, I'm positive the Sisters would smile once again!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - click on images to enlarge them.  Dates appear on many of the old photographs.