BUFFALO, N.Y. — It was October 1848 when Sisters of Charity Hospital first opened its doors becoming Buffalo's first large healthcare facility, and over time it provided care for generations of Western New Yorkers, and became a training ground for countless doctors and nurses.
Bishop John Timon saw the need for a comprehensive healthcare system in Buffalo and the Sisters of Charity responded. Led by Sister Ursula Mattingly, the Sisters turned an abandoned school building at the corner of Pearl and Virginia Streets into Buffalo's first hospital.
"Their first patients were sailors from the harbor and they had cholera. And due to the good aseptic handwashing and techniques that these nuns used, the sailors were healed which was a feat in that time so we became fairly well known," said Carolyn Dowling, a retired registered nurse of 54 years at Sisters and a 1967 Sisters Hospital Nursing School graduate, who participated in the planning of the 175th anniversary celebration.
Sisters of Charity Hospital School of Nursing opened in 1889, the first of its kind established by the Sisters of Charity in this country. Before it closed in 1999, it graduated more than 3,500 students.
The first Aortic Stent in Buffalo was placed at Sisters Hospital and its vascular program is nationally recognized. The care for mothers and newborns made Sisters a cornerstone of maternity care in the community.
“The legacy of providing care and the commitment to meeting the needs of all of those in the community built the foundation for Sisters Hospital,” said Joyce Markiewicz, Catholic Health President and CEO. “It is what has helped shape and craft the culture that stands true 175 years later.”
To celebrate the 175th anniversary, there will be a special mass at 3pm on October 5 at 3pm and reception to follow attended by current and former associates, volunteers, graduates from the school of nursing, two current Daughters of Charity, community members, supporters, friends and family.