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St. Joseph Medical Center, 1915 to 2000
In the spring of 1910 the Flathead Indian Reservation was opened to settlers by government enactment. Several thousand people were on hand to obtain a homestead. The government however, had not made any provisions for schools or hospitals for these settlers.
In the fall of 1913 Bishop John P. Carroll created the diocesan parish of Polson. Included in its jurisdiction was the northern half of the reservation. The first resident pastor, the Reverend A. M. O'Maley, took possession of his parish on October 5, 1913. Father O'Maley was in the new parish only a short time before seeing a great need for a hospital for the rapidly growing community.
In October 1914, Father O'Maley visited the St. Bernard Hospital in Chicago, and discussed the subject of a hospital with the sisters there. By June of 1915 the sisters decided they were unable to help him and suggested Father O'Maley meet with the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph at Hotel Dieu in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Three of the sisters volunteered.
On a cool, September 20, 1916 afternoon the auto stage pulled up at the brow of the hill overlooking beautiful Flathead Lake and the not-so-beautiful small town of Polson. The passengers, three nuns, all members of the nursing order of St. Joseph, climbed from the stage and stared at what would be their new home. Perhaps it appeared as a diamond in the rough - a young crude, rough tough town.
Certainly it was nothing like the eastern Canadian province from which they had just come. After a brief look, the three sisters from the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph got back into the stage and continued on their journey, down the dusty, winding trail that was the highway. (Today known as Skyline Drive). Passing through an Indian village before arriving at the foot of the lake. Then, if the "diamond" was not rough enough there was more disappointment. There wasn't even a place for them to stay. Kindly Father O'Maley, who occupied a house with his mother, vacated his quarters so the Sisters could live there until more suitable accommodations could be arranged. There had to be at least a twinge of disappointment and apprehension.
That evening six or seven women from the Catholic parish came to the house to welcome the Sisters and offer assistance.
The foundress trio included Mother St. Joseph (Leahy), Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart (Leahy), and Sister Gertrude (Leahy). The first two nuns were blood sisters, the third apparently not related to the others. By October 10, the sisters had taken charge. They leased the Polson General Hospital, which had opened on January 7, 1915 and had already gone through two administrations. They also purchased all of the hospital equipment. For Father O'Maley it was a dream come true. He told one of his parishioners that the only monument he wanted was the knowledge that Polson had a good hospital. He once had to hold a lantern for a doctor to perform an operation and felt there was a better way of doing things. The Sisters served a growing community through the perilous flu epidemic of 1918-19, when the Cottage Hotel was commandeered by the City for use as a temporary flu hospital.
With the direction and advice of Father O'Maley, the A.M. Davidson home, near the present hospital site, was acquired and became the new Polson Hospital in 1921. A wing was added to the house and the hospital could now boast a 17-bed capacity. It was a big improvement over the initial medical facility. In 1930 work began on Kerr Dam and the powerhouse. The population increased rapidly and a larger hospital became imperative. Again Father O'Maley, who served in Polson for 43 years, was instrumental in planning the new hospital. In 1932 a brick structure with a capacity of 30 beds was started, with completion on November 6, 1933.
By the 1950's the community again had outgrown its medical facilities and a larger hospital was needed. With the fundraising efforts headed by the late Senator Ralph Tower, more than $158,000 was raised. Community contributions combined with various federal funds and a Ford Foundation Grant along with a loan obtained by the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph enabled them to build a new 40 - bed facility, which opened in late 1959. Dedicated on March 19, 1960.
Within a few years the picture changed again. The Religious Hospitallers, faced with an aging membership and few younger recruits, had to turn over administration of their hospital to lay administrators while trying to locate Sponsors who would maintain the philosophy of St. Joseph Hospital, and be mutually acceptable to the community being served and the religious community. The membership problem hasn't changed but the complexities and costs of hospital management have.
On March 13, 1984, after 67 years serving the Polson community so well and lovingly, the Hospitaller Sisters transferred sponsorship of the local hospital to the Presentation Health System. In 1990, St. Joseph Hospital was in dire economic circumstances. The Sisters of Providence assumed responsibility for the hospital on March 1, allowing St. Joseph's to continue providing health care services to the community.
Under the sponsorship of Providence Services, St. Joseph Hospital participates as a member of a system of hospitals and an affiliate of St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. Expansion of services, shared purchasing and management expertise provide fundamental value to the community through the services St. Joseph Hospital provides. The Sisters of Providence understand that the hospital is vital to the well being of the community. Indeed, St. Joseph Hospital belongs to the community. Faced with an old building in need of extensive upgrades to meet standards and maintain its operating license, the St. Joseph Hospital Board of Directors reviewed options and concluded that new construction was the solution. The options included closing St. Joseph Hospital, renovating and upgrading the existing facility, joining with St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan to build a replacement facility in Pablo, or doing nothing. Clearly, closure of St. Joseph Hospital would deny essential access to excellent health care to the people of Polson.
Today, people need to access health care services in ways compatible with their changing lifestyles and the capabilities of the information age. Physicians and patients need modern diagnostic imaging equipment, outpatient surgery, physical therapy, cardiovascular rehabilitation, home health services, and wellness and fitness programs. In short, today's patients need ready access to outpatient services, modern technology, and skilled staff and physicians more than they need long halls of patient rooms.
The resulting vision was one of the hospital and doctors working together to continue to provide primary health care services in a state-of-the-art facility, designed to meet the health care needs of the area's growing, diverse and aging population. The plan included replacing the 1933 building with a new structure that includes a modern imaging suite, a new emergency room, a new surgical suite, patient rooms, medical office space and administrative office areas. The cost of the project was estimated at $10 million.
The community, combined with donations from foundations, generously contributed $1.6 million. The balance of the project was financed through a Providence Bond Issue. We watched the old building go down and the new one rise in its place with great anticipation. The new building, St. Joseph Medical Center, allows us to have "one-stop-shopping" for medical services; patient convenience for doctor visits, added a complete retail pharmacy, which is available 6 days a week, and closer proximity to testing laboratories so folks don't have to leave the building. We expanded our Family Maternity Center to promote a wonderful experience with closer family interaction.
The new hospital takes full advantage of the beautiful views of Flathead Lake and is filled with lots of natural light, which combined with the care, competence and training of our staff, make this a special healing place.
The above information was gathered and prepared by Toni Krebsbach Young
for the Dedication Ceremony of the New St. Joseph Hospital.
"Our Heritage" is a work in progress. Contact Marianne Farr, Librarian for more information
farr@saintpatrick.org.
Copyright © 2001, St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center. Last Updated:
February 3 2006
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