UofL Health — Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, 1850 Bluegrass Avenue, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and honoring the legacy of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth who founded the hospital.
Formerly a Catholic hospital, it was founded in 1874 by the sisters following the Civil War as Sts. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital.
During a press conference July 16, Melisa Adkins, CEO of the hospital, said the sisters established the hospital at Twelfth and Magnolia streets and admitted their first patients on June 1, 1874. They had a budget of just $50,000 plus $34,000 for furnishings, she noted.
“That’s the history we’re celebrating today and we’re proud of it,” Adkins said.
Tom Miller, CEO of UofL Health, noted that UofL has only been a part of the hospital for five years. It acquired Sts. Mary and Elizabeth in November of 2019. Today, the hospital stands on the foundation of “compassion” built by the sisters, he said.
“We honor your legacy,” Miller told the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in attendance. “You are in our hearts and minds every day.”
Sister Maria Vincent Brocato, a past president of the SCNs who represented the sisters at the press conference, said the hospital was founded to serve the “sick poor.”
“Our sisters were its first staff, and we’ve stayed connected these 150 years,” said Sister Brocato. She noted that at least 200 Sisters of Charity of Nazareth have served at the hospital over the years.
The hospital has had the community’s support since its founding, she said. Proof of that is the 1,000 volunteers and 150 ambulances that helped move patients and equipment in 1958 from Twelfth and Magnolia to its present location on Bluegrass Avenue in south Louisville.
Sister Brocato also thanked all “our faithful employees.”
“All of you,” she said to the men and women, many wearing hospital scrubs, who attended the conference. She thanked all the “loyal” nurses and doctors, including Dr. Arun Ummat, a cardiologist whom Sister Brocato said, “Cared for me in wondrous ways.”
Dr. Ummat and his wife, Dr. Neera Ummat, were recognized for their donation of $1 million to Mary & Elizabeth, the largest in the hospital’s history, according to its vice president of philanthropy Elea Fox.
To the leaders of UofL Health in attendance, Sister Brocato said, “We appreciate that now this hospital is under the auspices of UofL Health. We applaud you for the changes you’ve made in the past five years and we wish you the very best in the years to come.”
The hospital planned to mark the anniversary with a community celebration July 20. A historic timeline is available at https://uoflhealth.org/150-years-of-mary-elizabeth-hospital/.
