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About St. Anthony's Medical Center
Our History
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Tomorrow
Norbert Siegfried is a familiar face on the Medical Center’s campus, having served as one of St. Anthony’s founding board members when it opened in south St. Louis County in 1975. He was at the helm as board chairman from 1994-2007. Recognized for astute leadership and service, he is a past recipient of the Excellence in Governance Award from the Missouri Hospital Association.
Siegfried vividly remembers the struggle to establish St. Anthony’s in south county. After several frustrating years, a group of community and business leaders were called together by then board chairman Robert Hyland, St. Louis’ broadcasting pioneer. Adie Von Gottard, vicechairman at Anheuser-Busch, galvanized the group to keep trying.
“He said everyone should do something in their lifetime that is a substantial investment of themselves, without thought of personal gain, something that would benefit a lot of people,” Siegfried says. “It was very inspirational to me, and I’ve never forgotten it.” Two months later, St. Anthony’s was awarded a lowinterest loan from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) — only the fourth healthcare facility in the nation to receive such financing.
“This is a place where lifesaving events happen — everyday medical miracles.”
St. Anthony's Medical Center’s long and proud tradition of service to the St. Louis area began in 1900 when the Franciscan Sisters of Germany opened St. Anthony's Hospital in south St. Louis. The Catholic, faith-based foundation was established as the Sisters named the facility after St. Anthony of Padua who patterned his life and healing ministry after the example set by Jesus Christ.
As the community grew, the Franciscan Sisters made plans to expand the original facility. New wings were added in 1904 and 1928, establishing St. Anthony’s as a leading health care provider both nationally and locally. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, St. Anthony's gained national recognition as the Midwest's primary treatment center for polio victims. And in 1957, St. Anthony's became one of the first hospitals in the area to offer cobalt cancer treatment.
1960s
In 1967, the Franciscan Sisters transferred ownership and control of the hospital to a board of community leaders, making St. Anthony's the first Catholic hospital in the St. Louis area to be administered by a lay board. Following this transition, plans were made to relocate the hospital to south St. Louis County.
1970s
In 1975, St. Anthony's Medical Center opened at its present location and remains the only hospital located in south St. Louis County.
Over the years St. Anthony’s has changed and grown to meet community needs. And along the way, there’s been additional recognition from national and local organizations.
In 1977, Hyland Behavioral Health was established to provide inpatient and outpatient care for children, teens and adults coping with depression, schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses, drug addiction, eating disorders and dual diagnoses.
1980s
In the early 1980s, St. Anthony’s recruited many primary care and specialty care physicians to south St. Louis County to meet the needs of growing communities close to home.
1990s
In 1994 St. Anthony’s opened the Medical Plaza across the street from the Medical Center. It included an Outpatient Surgery Center, which made patient access more convenient for minor surgeries that did not require an overnight hospital stay. It also provided space for several primary care and specialty care physician offices. These services are still available today.
In 1999, St. Anthony’s received a Top 100 Hospital designation from HCIA for orthopedic surgery –total knee replacement.
2000s
In 2000, cancer services were centralized and expanded with the opening of the Cancer Center. In addition, the Fern & Russell F. de Greeff Hospice House provides an alternative home for individuals with terminal illnesses who do not have a caregiver at home.
In 2002, St. Anthony’s opened the Heart & Ambulatory Services Center, a four-story facility adjacent to the Medical Center. This facility centralizes outpatient access to leading cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and vascular surgeons in the St. Louis area, providing a comprehensive range of cardiac and peripheral vascular diagnostic tests and treatment procedures. In addition, cardiac rehabilitation and fitness center services are nearby.
In 2004, St. Anthony’s received the Cardiac Center of Excellence designation from United Healthcare, the largest health plan in St. Louis. Also in 2004, St. Anthony’s was designated one of the “Best Places to Work”by the St. Louis Business Journal.
In Spring 2005, St. Anthony’s was named a Solucient Top 100 performance improvement leader among U.S. hospitals. This designation was based on a thorough evaluation of 2,592 hospitals’ outcomes in quality, financial, operations and growth performance indicators. St. Anthony’s achieved improved outcomes in these areas at a faster rate than most other U.S. hospitals.
Also in Spring 2005, St. Anthony’s became the first hospital in St. Louis to receive Accredited Chest Pain Center designation by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. St. Anthony’s integrates emergency and heart care services to rapidly diagnose and treat emergency patients with chest pain.
Tomorrow
Looking to the future, St. Anthony’s began work in 2006 on a $90 million hospital redesign and construction project that will significantly expand and enhance our patient care capabilities. This project includes a new, state-of-the-art heart care center in a four-story hospital building adjacent to the current facility; a separate pediatric emergency department; and renovations to provide all-private acute care patient rooms throughout the medical center.
This major expansion project, which is expected to be complete by mid-2008, is a visible recommitment that St. Anthony's will continue to provide the best in specialized, tertiary care for the people in south St. Louis County, Jefferson County, outstate Missouri and southern Illinois.
The leaders, physicians and employees who serve St. Anthony’s patients today proudly continue the tradition of caring that began in 1900 and will continue for years to come.
For information or a physician referral, please call 800.554.9550 or visit our online physician referral.
At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization — and your first choice for health care services.