Hartford Business Journal

14 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | September 12, 2022 Saint Francis Hospital at 125: Honoring the Past, Living in the Present, Looking to the Future From humble beginnings to becoming the largest Catholic hospital in New England, it's been quite the journey for Saint Francis Hospital. Now celebrating its 125th anniversary, we sit down with hospital President Thomas Burke, BPharm, M.B.A., to reflect on more than a century of Caring for the Community. Q: Can you tell us about the founding of Saint Francis Hospital 125 years ago? A: We go back to 1897, when Hartford Bishop Michael Tierney called on the French religious order of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chambéry to open and operate a new hospital in the city. At the time, there were concerns about Catholic immigrants in Hartford being able to receive health care that honored the Catholic faith. On August 25, 1897, the sisters arrived, led by Mother Ann Valencia. They were expecting to find a hospital, but instead found a three-story red brick building with only two finished rooms. Still, on August 27, just two days later, the sisters welcomed their first patient to Saint Francis. They moved quickly from there! Four years later, in 1901, the hospital opened a new four-story building, and in 1906 another new building was opened on Collins Street. After 10 years of service, Saint Francis had treated 10,000 patients. Now, 125 years later, Saint Francis is the largest Catholic hospital in New England. But that beginning always reminds us of our Mission-based work at its core: we jump in and do the work regardless of the resources available at the time. Mother Ann Valencia, who founded Saint Francis at the age of 42 and served the hospital until her death in 1936. At the time of her death, a Saint Francis physician wrote "Saint Francis Hospital will always stand as a monument to the saintly woman who nurtured it from the little brick building on the corner."

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