Ascension Providence was honored to hold a special celebration event commemorating its 120th anniversary of dedicated service to the greater Waco community. The event highlighted the hospital's history of compassionate care, health care innovation, facility and technology investments and dedication to our community with local leaders, hospital staff, board members and community supporters. The hospital was established as Providence Sanitarium in 1905 as a healing ministry with the Daughters of Charity, and was Waco's first hospital.
"For more than 120 years, our hospital has been committed to providing our community with high-quality and compassionate care," said Philip Patterson, President of Ascension Providence. "This historic milestone celebrates the incredible dedication and tireless efforts of our past and present physicians, leaders, staff, and supporters. Our hospital continues to invest in the latest medical technology, recruit top talent, and expand our facilities to meet the needs of our rapidly growing community."
In its very first year, the hospital cared for 231 patients and performed 102 surgeries. Fast forward to today, with more than 638,750 persons a year trusting the Providence system for their care. Over the decades, Providence has embraced change and growth to meet the evolving needs of our community. As the city's first hospital, we have achieved numerous milestones over the years, including establishing the first Heart Hospital. We also led the way in stroke care, opening the first Stroke Center and the Interventional Neuro-Radiology Program in 2000. Additionally, this year we opened the new Salome Inpatient Rehabilitation Center, which is yet another proud chapter in our story of excellence and service.
Ascension Providence is a full-service hospital with 24/7 emergency care. We deliver care for life-threatening injuries and illnesses. Our surgical center has robotic and image-guided technology, and our surgeons perform minimally invasive techniques whenever possible to help with recovery. Our care teams listen to quickly understand your health needs and deliver care that's right for you. Ascension Providence is a destination for specialty care - including heart and vascular health, orthopedics, women's health and maternity services. Our OB-GYN maternity care teams at our Women's and Newborn Center deliver a personalized birthing experience and advanced neonatal care for sick babies. We offer a wide range of minimally invasive procedures, imaging, lab tests and rehabilitation services, all on one campus.
