Celebrating 150 years of caring for our community

By Jamie Smith, Saint Joseph President

As I reflect upon the significance of Saint Joseph Hospital’s 150th anniversary, I think about our humble beginnings, the faith and determination of the Sisters, the incredible caregivers who joined them in their mission and all the lives we’ve touched throughout those years.

I never get tired of hearing the story about how four brave women from the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Kansas, came out west in 1873 to meet a need in the Denver community before Colorado was even a state. They established Saint Joseph Hospital, then called St. Vincent’s Hospital, in a six-room brick house in what is now known as LoDo, and a few years later would move the hospital to the location off of 18th Avenue where it stands today.

The legacy they built is strong and lives on thanks to the dedication of our more than 2,600 caregivers, 150 volunteers, and you, our nearly 1,600 physicians and advance practice providers. We continue to carry out the mission set by the Sisters, to serve our community, especially the poor and vulnerable, and to do this by treating everyone with compassion and dignity. Saint Joe’s has also become one of the premier hospitals in our state and region by building programs such as our premier heart and vascular center, comprehensive women’s and infant’s health, destination respiratory care and other high-quality services.

We recently celebrated with several caregiver events, and a gala hosted by the Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation. The event was a huge success, raising more than $1 million for the Spirit of the Sisters fund, which helps ensure that we continue to meet the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of the whole person.

With such a great legacy to inspire us and a team of the most talented caregivers, I know there is much more that we can do. I look forward to a bright future and the good that is to be.

Thank you for being part of this incredible milestone,

Jamie

And please enjoy this special video tribute, highlighting the past, present and future of Saint Joe’s.