Our History  1872The tradition of health care excellence at Regions Hospital can be traced to an old stone mansion. In 1872, the Ramsey County Board of Control authorized the purchase of the mansion to serve as a hospital. Prior to the purchase, the mansion served as a hospital under the ownership of Jacob Stewart, MD, one of St. Paul's most prominent physicians and a three-term mayor. 1873 The Stewart Mansion is established as City and County Hospital and is operated by two physicians, including Dr. Stewart. 1891 The Ancker School of Nursing, a training school for nurses, is established. Many highly-trained nurses graduate from the school until it closes in 1976. 1895 Due to over-crowding in the old mansion building, a new hospital building opens to the public in November. A group of charitable women present the hospital with its first ambulance and an anonymous donor purchases two horses to operate it.  1913The hospital celebrates its 40th anniversary. Since 1872, it has grown from 10 beds to more than 600 beds. At the time, it is the 10th largest hospital in the country and the largest west of Chicago. 1923 City and County Hospital is renamed Ancker Hospital in honor of its late superintendent, Arthur B. Ancker, MD. 1946 Group Health loans an iron lung respirator to Ancker Hospital during a major polio epidemic in the region. 1948 Physicians perform the first heart surgery in St. Paul on a four-year-old girl at Ancker Hospital.  1965Ancker Hospital becomes St. Paul-Ramsey Hospital as it moves to its current location at Jackson and University avenues. One year later, Ramsey Foundation forms to raise funds for patient care, education and research at the hospital. 1972 MedCenters Health Plan is founded by a 72-member physician group. 1977 The hospital's name becomes St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center when the North Building is added to the Ramsey campus. 1979 Ramsey Clinic, a multispecialty group practice, is incorporated by the hospital's medical staff. 1986 The hospital becomes a private, nonprofit facility - no longer county-operated. One year later, the hospital, clinic and foundation are organized under common management. 1992 HealthPartners forms through the merger of Group Health and MedCenters Health Plan. The hospital opens a new facility for Ramsey Family Physicians in east St. Paul. 1993 The American College of Surgeons formally verifies St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center as a Level I Trauma Center. St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center and the Ramsey organizations merge with HealthPartners.  1994Ramsey's renowned burn center, establised in 1963, opens its new 18 bed facility. HealthPartners and Ramsey open a new Same-Day Surgery Center at Highway 280 and University Avenue in September. 1995 The Health Center for Women, the Twin Cities' first women's clinic staffed entirely by female physicians, expands and moves to a new site at Highway 280 and University Avenue. The east metro's busiest emergency center is expanded into new facilities with advanced technology, private treatment rooms and comfortable waiting areas. 1996 A remodeled inpatient pediatric unit is completed in January. Its award-winning design is developed with instruction from children. Ramsey physicians join HealthPartners physicians in caring for patients at the HealthPartners Physician Clinic/Ramsey Clinic in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood. The HealthPartners Institute for Medical Education is created to provide leadership and coordination for medical education programs at the hospital and the HealthPartners organizations. The HealthPartners Woodbury Clinic opens featuring ReadyCare, staffed by Ramsey physicians. HealthPartners and Ramsey Clinic physicians form the HealthPartners Medical Group. 1997 St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center renovates its catheterization laboratory with highly-advanced digital technology. St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center becomes Regions Hospital on September 15. 1999 Regions Hospital enters into a management agreement with Hudson Medical Center in Hudson, Wisconsin. The Health Resource Center, which contains a large collection of health and wellness materials, is opened to patients, visitors and the public.  Groundbreaking for the hospital's construction and renovation project. The project focuses on our Heart Center, Birth Center, Cancer Center, Surgical Services, Critical Care Services and Gastroenterology Services.2000 Ramsey Clinic-Jackson Street Adult and Pediatric clinics are relocated to HealthPartners Ramsey Clinic-Midway. Holistic health unit opens at Regions Hospital. It includes massage, aroma and music therapy as part of the care. Regions Hospital became the preferred health care provider for the Minnesota Wild professional Hockey team. Opening of new Heart Center, Birth Center, Surgical Services, Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Gastroenterology Services as part of a $62 million expansion and renovation project. 2001 Through a partnership with HealthPartners, the Hudson Hospital Emergency Room, Hudson, WI, is staffed with Emergency Medicine Physicians from Regions Hospital. Regions Hospital sends staff members to New York to aid in relief efforts after the terrorists attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A 14-bed telemetry unit was added to 8 South, allowing Regions Hospital to meet the needs of cardiology patients. 2002 The HealthPartners Institute of Medical Education and the University of Minnesota celebrated their 100-year partnership providing medical student education. Regions Hospital opened a new 5,000 square-foot Breast Health Center and a new 9,000 square foot Cancer Care Center. Regions Hospital Emergency Center added a private bereavement room for friends and family members to grieve with the body of their deceased loved ones. Regions Hospital installed NaviCare, giving physicians, nurses and patient's family members the ability to track a patients progress in real-time. 2003 Regions Hospital board appoints Brock Nelson as President and CEO after Terry Finzen retires after six years in the position. |
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