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Our History

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is the culmination of the integration of two highly regarded health systems, Virginia Mason and CHI Franciscan, both with a rich history of providing state-of-the-art health care to the Northwest.

A look back—CHI Franciscan

Our journey began in 1891, when the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia founded St. Joseph Hospital (now St. Joseph Medical Center).

1891
The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia found St. Joseph Hospital, Tacoma's first Catholic hospital, with 60 beds.

St Joseph 1899

1900
St. Joseph Hospital establishes a school for nurses.

St Joseph Students

1915
St. Joseph Hospital moves into a five-story, modern building occupying an entire block along I Street between South 18th and South 19th streets. The facility eventually had capacity for as many as 300 private and semi-private beds. The hospital was the center for advanced and specialized care within the community.

St Joseph 1940

1949
Enumclaw Community Hospital opens with 22 beds.

Enumclaw Community Hospital

1974
The new St. Joseph Medical Center opens. Designed by renowned architect Bertrand Goldberg, it features an innovative tower that reflects Goldberg’s theory of “nuclear design.” Patient rooms were clustered to form “villages” around nursing stations, facilitating eye contact, and communication between patients and nurses. St. Joseph Medical Center was declared one of the most efficient health care facilities on the West Coast. The medical center tower remains an icon on the Tacoma skyline.

St. Joseph Medical Center

1987
St. Francis Hospital opens in Federal Way. It remains the only hospital in the growing community of South King County.

St. Francis Hospital

1990
Franciscan Health System acquires Lakewood General Hospital; the hospital is renamed St. Clare Hospital.

St. Clare Hospital

1996
Franciscan Health System joined Catholic Health Initiatives. Based in Englewood, Colorado, Catholic Health Initiatives is one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States.

1999
Franciscan Medical Group forms with six clinics. Since then, Franciscan Medical Group has become one of the leading multi-specialty medical groups in the Pacific Northwest with clinics, doctors, and other providers in Pierce, King, and Kitsap counties.

St. Joseph Medical Center Clinic

2003
The Outpatient Center at St. Francis Hospital opens, offering diagnostic imaging, day surgery, a gastrointestinal lab, radiation oncology, and physical, speech and occupational rehabilitation services.

St. Francis Outpatient Center

2004
The Outpatient Center at St. Joseph Medical Center opens. The facility features the newest medical technology, a serene healing environment, an efficient admissions process, and access to a broad range of services. The outpatient center was designed by Callison Architecture. It was declared one of the best-designed health care facilities in the U.S., winning a national design award from Modern Healthcare magazine.

St. Joseph Outpatient Center

2005
Franciscan Hospice House opens in University Place, near Tacoma. It is the only inpatient hospice facility in the South Puget Sound region.

Franciscan Hospice House

St. Clare Specialty Center, a state-of-the-art medical office building connected to St. Clare Hospital, opens. The Specialty Center houses doctors' offices and several of the hospital's outpatient programs.

St. Clare Specialty Center

2006
Franciscan Medical Group opens its 35th clinic, St. Anthony Prompt Care in Gig Harbor (now called Franciscan Prompt Care – Gig Harbor). The staff provides urgent care for minor illnesses and injuries.

St. Anthony Prompt Care

2007
Enumclaw Regional Hospital joins the Franciscan Health System, becoming the fourth hospital in the growing organization.

Enumclaw Regional Hospital

2009
St. Anthony Hospital opens in Gig Harbor, becoming the fifth hospital in the Franciscan Health System. A sky bridge connects the hospital to the Milgard Medical Pavilion, home to doctors’ offices and numerous outpatient services.

St. Anthony Hospital

2011
St. Elizabeth Hospital opens in February 2011 in Enumclaw, replacing Enumclaw Regional Hospital as the community's acute-care facility

St. Elizabeth Hospital

2013
The Franciscan Medical Building at St. Joseph opens. The patient destination center includes five floors of medical services, retail pharmacy, laboratory, and café.

Franciscan Medical Building at St. Joseph

Highline Medical Center in Burien and the Highline Medical Group affiliates with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

Highline Medical Center

The Franciscan Medical Pavilion in Bonney Lake opens. The state-of-the art facility houses family medicine, an urgent care, digital X-ray, on-site laboratory, and retail pharmacy.  Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton and Silverdale affiliates with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

Franciscan Medical Pavilion in Bonney Lake

Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton and Silverdale affiliates with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

Harrison Medical Center

2014
Regional Hospital, the region’s first long-term acute care hospital, affiliates with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

2021
CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason finalize agreement to form Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

A look back—Virginia Mason

1920
Virginia Mason Hospital opens with six doctor offices.

1922
Hospital expands its maternity department

1922
Virginia Mason's School of Nursing admits the first of hundreds of students educated in the program, which, 35 years later, became affiliated with the University of Washington.

1940's
Virginia Mason becomes one of the first hospitals in the nation to allow fathers in the delivery room.

1956
Research center opens and attracts talented researchers.

1960
The bestselling book Intern is written by Alan Nourse, MD, a Virginia Mason intern.

1985
The region's first lithotripter, for treating kidney stones without surgery, is installed.

1992
Bailey-Boushay House, a facility to care for people living with AIDS, opens and is managed and staffed by Virginia Mason.

1999
Benaroya Research Institute, a state-of-the-art facility, opens.

2008
Virginia Mason Institute is established to provide education and training in the Virginia Mason Production System (VMPS).

2016
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital affiliates with and becomes part of Virginia Mason Health System. 

2021
CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason finalize agreement to form Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. 

Looking forward

Informed by our history, dedication to research, and our record of ground-breaking medical firsts, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is determined to continue its legacy of providing high-quality, patient-centered health care. We fully intend to continue making health care history in the service of our communities.