List of the oldest hospitals in the United States

The following is a list of the oldest hospitals in the United States, containing extant hospitals in the United States established prior to the year 1900. The dates refer to the foundation or the earliest documented contemporary reference to the hospital.

Hospitals

18th century

Name Location Notes 1736 Bellevue Hospital New York City, New York (Manhattan)Public hospital. Formerly known as Bellevue Hospital Center. Renamed NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Hospital Center in November 2015. It is the oldest U.S. hospital in continuous operation. 1736 Charity Hospital New Orleans, LouisianaDefunct public hospital. It was originally named the Hospital of Saint John or L’Hôpital des Pauvres de la Charité (The Charity Hospital for the Poor). Charity Hospital sustained severe flood damage during Hurricane Katrina and was closed. 1751 Pennsylvania Hospital Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPrivate, non-profit hospital founded by Ben Franklin. 1771 New York Hospital New York City, New York (Manhattan)Now known as Weill Cornell Medical Center, it is the primary teaching hospital of Weill Cornell Medicine. In 1998 it merged with Presbyterian Hospital to form NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital. Lerner, Adele A. "New York Hospital" in , p.9201773 Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Baltimore, Maryland Teaching hospital. Originally called Baltimore County and Town Almshouse. 1796 Boston Dispensary Boston, MassachusettsPublic hospital. Merged with Tufts Medical Center in 1930

Nineteenth century

Name Location Notes 1804 Candler Hospital Savannah, Georgia It was originally founded in 1804 as a Seamen's Hospital and poor house and eventually became known as Savannah Hospital. Later, it merged with St. Joseph's. It is the second oldest hospital in America in continuous operation. 1806 District of Columbia General Hospital Washington, D.C. Originally called Washington Infirmary, established by Congress, closed in 2001 1811 Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, Massachusetts It is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. 1811 McLean Hospital Belmont, Massachusetts It was formerly known as Somerville Asylum and Charlestown Asylum. 1813 Friends Hospital Philadelphia, Pennsylvania First private hospital for the insane in the U.S.1818University HospitalAugusta, GeorgiaNow known as Piedmont Augusta.1823Baltimore InfirmaryBaltimore, MarylandThe country's first hospital built specifically to teach medical students 1825 Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaOriginally founded as the infirmary of the Jefferson Medical college.1826 General Hospital Society of Connecticut New Haven, Connecticut Originally founded as General Hospital Society of Connecticut. Merged with Grace Hospital in 1945. Now known as Yale New Haven Hospital1828 Hospital of the Sisters of Charity Saint Louis, Missouri Founded by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. The first Catholic hospital in the United States and the first hospital West of the Mississippi River. It is the earliest predecessor of SSM Health DePaul Hospital.1830Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Portsmouth, Virginia The oldest continuously running hospital in the US Navy 1831John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook CountyChicago, Illinois1832City HospitalNew York City, New York (Manhattan) 1837City HospitalCleveland, OhioOriginally founded as City Hospital in 1837, functioned as infirmary for the city of Cleveland, now known as the MetroHealth System. 1839Lincoln HospitalNew York City, New York (Bronx)Originally called The Home for the Colored Aged1842New Hampshire State HospitalConcord, New Hampshire1844Butler HospitalProvidence, Rhode Island1845Brooklyn Hospital Center. New York City, New York (Brooklyn) founded in May 1845 as "Brooklyn City Hospital", following a public meeting convened by Mayor Smith of what was then Brooklyn City. 1847Mercy HospitalPittsburgh, Pennsylvanianow known as University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Mercy 1848 Trenton Psychiatric Hospital Trenton, New JerseyFounded by Dorothea Lynde Dix on May 15, 1848, it was the first public mental hospital in the state of New Jersey. It previously operated under the name New Jersey State Hospital at Trenton and originally as the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum.1850 San Francisco General Hospital San Francisco, California 1850 Wheeling Hospital Wheeling, West Virginia 1852Touro InfirmaryNew Orleans, LouisianaIt is best known for its Family Birthing Center and for founding the first rehabilitation program.1853St. Joseph's HospitalSt. Paul, Minnesota Closed 2020 1854Grace HospitalNew Haven, ConnecticutMerged with Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1945. 1854Hartford HospitalHartford, Connecticut 1856 St. Vincent Medical CenterLos Angeles, California1856Providence Sacred Heart Medical CenterSpokane, Washington 1857Lenox Hill HospitalNew York City, New York (Manhattan) 1857St. Mary's Medical CenterSan Francisco, CaliforniaSt. Mary's Medical Center (SMMC) is the oldest continuously operating hospital and the first Catholic hospital in San Francisco. St. Mary's Hospital was opened on July 27, 1857 by the Sisters of Mercy.1858St. Joseph Community HospitalVancouver, WashingtonMerged PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, 20101858Long Island College HospitalNew York City, New York (Brooklyn)Defunct hospital that closed in 2014. It was the first teaching hospital as well as the first to use stethoscopes and anesthesia in the United States. 1859Kalamazoo Regional Psychiatric HospitalKalamazoo, Michigan 1859The Queen's Medical CenterHonolulu, Hawaii 1860Denver Health Medical CenterDenver, Colorado 1861Staten Island University HospitalNew York City, New York (Staten Island) 1862Freedman's HospitalWashington, D.C. (District of Columbia) 1862Oregon State HospitalSalem, Oregon 1863Rhode Island HospitalProvidence, Rhode Island 1863Harper HospitalDetroit, Michigan 1864Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Began as the Jewish hospital for aged, infirm and destitute.1865St. Vincent Charity Medical CenterCleveland, OhioSt. Vincent Charity Medical Center 1864Boston City HospitalBoston, MassachusettsMerged Boston Medical Center, 1996 1864Mayo ClinicRochester, MinnesotaNoted for the content of integrated multispecialty practice. 1866St. Barnabas Hospital (Bronx)New York City, New York (The Bronx)Began as the Home for the Incurables 1866St. Elizabeth's Medical Center (Boston)Brighton, Massachusetts 1866University Hospitals Case Medical CenterCleveland, Ohio1866St. Mary's HospitalGalveston, TexasBegan as Charity Infirmary, first Catholic and private hospital in Texas 1867Saint Michael's Medical CenterNewark, New Jersey 1867Cheyenne Regional Medical CenterCheyenne, Wyoming 1868Hutzel Women's HospitalDetroit, Michigan 1868Presbyterian Hospital New York City, New York (Manhattan)Now known as Columbia Univ Medical Center, it is the primary teaching hospital of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. In 1998 it merged with New York Hospital to form NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital.1869Santa Rosa InfirmarySan Antonio, Texaslater became CHRISTUS Health 1869 St. Joseph's Hospital Health CenterSyracuse, New York 1869University of Michigan Health SystemAnn Arbor, Michigan 1870Children's National Medical CenterWashington, D. C.Formerly referred to as D.C. Children's Hospital 1871Western State HospitalLakewood, Washington 1872Providence St. John HospitalDetroit, Michigan 1873St. Patrick HospitalMissoula, Montana 1874Maine Medical CenterPortland, Maine 1875Providence St. Vincent HospitalPortland, Oregon 1875Good Samaritan HospitalPortland, OregonMerged Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, 19891875St. Mary's of Michigan Medical CenterSaginaw, Michigan 1875Butterworth HospitalGrand Rapids, Michigan 1875Napa State HospitalNapa, California1876OSF Saint Francis Medical CenterPeoria, Illinois1876Santa Clara Valley Medical CenterSan Jose, California 1877Bridgeport HospitalBridgeport, Connecticut 1877Harborview Medical CenterSeattle, Washington 1877Montana State HospitalWarm Springs, Montana 1878Roger Williams Medical CenterProvidence, Rhode Island1878St. Helena HospitalSt. Helena, California1879The University of Vermont Medical CenterBurlington, VermontFounded as Mary Fletcher Hospital 1881 Hamot Medical CenterErie, Pennsylvania Now UPMC Hamot 1883Sinai-Grace HospitalDetroit, Michigan 1883Springfield HospitalSpringfield, Massachusetts Merged Baystate Health, 1986 1884Concord HospitalConcord, New Hampshire 1884Montefiore Home for Chronic InvalidsNew York City, New York (The Bronx) Now Montefiore Medical Center 1884Memorial HospitalNew York City, New York (Manhattan)Now Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 1885Traverse City State HospitalTraverse City, Michigan 1885North Dakota State HospitalJamestown, North Dakota 1885Agnews Developmental CenterSanta Clara, California 1885Good Samaritan HospitalLos Angeles, California 1885Terrell State HospitalTerrell, Texas 1885St Joseph's HospitalChippewa Falls, WisconsinNow HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital, Chippewa Falls, WI 1886Children's Hospital of MichiganDetroit, Michigan 1886Grace HospitalSeattle, Washington 1886Bartlett Regional HospitalJuneau, Alaska 1887Providence St. Peter HospitalOlympia, Washington1887Minneapolis City HospitalMinneapolis, Minnesota 1887Cooper University Health CareCamden, New Jersey 1888Hackensack University Medical CenterHackensack, New Jersey 1889Johns Hopkins HospitalBaltimore, Maryland 1889Flagler HospitalSaint Augustine, Florida 1890Jefferson Healthcare HospitalPort Townsend, Washington 1890Bronx-Lebanon Hospital CenterNew York City, New York (The Bronx) 1890Scripps Mercy HospitalSan Diego, California 1891Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation HospitalGrand Rapids, Michigan 1891Eastern State HospitalMedical Lake, Washington 1892St. Ignatius HospitalColfax, Washington1892Huntington HospitalPasadena, California 1893Mary Hitchcock Memorial HospitalHanover, New HampshireMerged Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, 19271893Presbyterian HospitalPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaMerged University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 19081893Adventist Medical CenterPortland, Oregon1894Parkland Memorial HospitalDallas, Texas1894Winona HealthWinona, Minnesota 1896Sparrow HospitalLansing, Michigan 1896Deaconess HospitalSpokane, Washington 1896NYU Langone Hospital – Long IslandMineola, New YorkOpened as Nassau Hospital. It was the first hospital on Long Island at a time when the surrounding area was primarily rural and agricultural. 1897St. Elizabeth HospitalBaker City, Oregon 1898Georgetown University HospitalWashington, D.C.Merged MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, 2000 1898Mayo Clinic Health System - MankatoMankato, MinnesotaFormerly Immanuel-St. Joseph's Hospital 1898Gritman Medical CenterMoscow, Idaho 1899Calvary Hospital (Bronx)New York City, New York (The Bronx)1899Walla Walla General HospitalWalla Walla, Washington1899Parker Memorial HospitalColumbia, MissouriFirst Hospital at the University of Missouri

See also History of medicine in the United States History of public health in the United States History of public health in New York City

References