I first wrote about the history of Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital in 2016 after my mom spent some time there in the Critical Care Unit. I am forever grateful for the compassion, care and kindness shown to my mom and our family.
The first hospital in Atlanta was St. Joseph’s, but the story of Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital begins in Dublin, Ireland. In 1831, Catherine McAuley began the Sisters of Mercy order, with the goal of helping the poor and the sick. She started twelve Mercy foundations in Ireland and two in England.
In 1880, Sisters Mary Cecilia Carroll, Mary Helena Sheehan, Mary Borgia Thomas, and Mary Bermans Young from the Sisters of Mercy order made the journey from Savannah, Georgia to Atlanta to establish a hospital. They had already started a hospital in Savannah. The Sisters had the skills, experience and compassion to care for those in need. They were encouraged by William Gross, the Catholic bishop of Savannah. He had seen the need for a hospital in Atlanta. This was the first hospital established in Atlanta, other than the temporary hospitals of the Civil War.
St. Joseph’s Infirmary in downtown Atlanta, located at Courtland and Baker Street. This photograph was provided by St. Joseph’s Hospital in 2016 when I first wrote about the history.
The hospital was first known as Atlanta Hospital and was located at the intersection of Courtland and Baker Streets. Dr. F. H. O’Brien was the physician in charge of the ten bed hospital during the first year. A May 2, 1880 article in The Atlanta Constitution announced, “Atlanta has a hospital at last. It is a permanent institution which will grow in importance and usefulness as the city’s needs increase. The new institution is called the Atlanta Hospital and is controlled by the Sisters of Mercy whose beautiful ministrations to the afflicted are known to all.”
The name was changed from Atlanta Hospital to St. Joseph’s Infirmary in 1881, according to an advertisement placed by the Sisters of Mercy in The Atlanta Constitution. The sisters also advertised that the hospital had many modern conveniences, such as hot and cold water, and “many advantages for the comfort and treatment of the sick.”
A nursing school was begun in 1900, which was the first of its kind in Georgia. The first St. Joseph’s Infirmary School of Nursing graduation took place at nearby Marist College in 1903. Five women received their diplomas. The school continued until the 1970’s when universities such as Georgia State University began to add nursing to their programs. St. Joseph’s School of Nursing graduated the final group of students in 1973.
Other changes and improvements were made to the hospital over the years. In 1902, a surgical wing was added using money donated by Dr. Robert D. Spalding. During the Great Depression, the hospital established Haverty Hall to serve the needs of the poor. The Sisters of Mercy always saw their responsibilities as not only caring for the sick, but also helping the poor with food and clothing. They went out into the streets of Atlanta to help the needy.
An important part of St. Joseph’s Infirmary was the chapel. The chapel at the Courtland Street and Baker Street location had gothic architecture and stained glass.
The chapel at today’s Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital is located off of the main lobby. There is a large display of the hospital’s history on this same floor, which includes many old photographs.
During World War II, St. Joseph’s Infirmary continued to serve the community. The price of a one week stay at that time was $46. In that same decade, the hospital was planning for future growth and purchased additional property on Courtland, Ivy, Baker, and Harris Streets.
Expansion occurred in 1953 as the hospital built a new $4 million facility on the additional land purchased. Longtime supporters of St. Joseph’s were there for the opening of the new facility and included Mr. and Mrs. Hughes Spalding, Sr., Mr. Charles Haverty, and Bishop Highland. The support of the Haverty family goes back to the early twentieth century with Mr. J. J. Haverty, founder of Haverty Furniture Company.
In 1956 St. Joseph’s Infirmary was the first hospital in the southeast to conduct open heart surgery. Dr. William Hopkins performed the surgery and used a heart-lung machine that he developed. He was also the first surgeon in Atlanta to install a pacemaker.
The 1970’s brought rapid growth to downtown Atlanta and the decision that St. Joseph’s Hospital should move to a new location. Ground was broken for the facility on Peachtree Dunwoody Road in 1975. The new three hundred bed hospital opened in 1978 and the name changed from St. Joseph’s Infirmary to St. Joseph’s Hospital.
In 1983 Mercy Care Services began, where St. Joseph’s doctors and nurses went to places of need in downtown Atlanta with tackle boxes of medical supplies. They went to soup kitchens, shelters and any place where there was a need. The following year the Mercy Care Mobile Unit began, which was a health care on wheels program.
The first artificial heart transplant in Georgia, using the Jarvik 7, took place at St. Joseph’s in 1989 and was performed by Dr. Douglas Murphey. In that same year, a volunteer fundraising arm known as WINGS began. WINGS, which stands for Workers Involved in New Growth, became part of St. Joseph’s Mercy Care and has raised $7.5 million since 1990.
Many changes to St. Joseph’s Hospital have occurred over the years and continue to this day. One of the major changes was the partnership with Emory University which was agreed upon in 2011. While the hospital has grown and evolved since the Sisters of Mercy founded it in 1880, their mission to provide compassionate care for all Atlantans has remained constant.
Other sources cited include: emory.edu, Emory News Center.