WHEREAS, St. Mary's Hospital, a 391-bed acute-care hospital affiliated with Bon Secours Richmond Health System, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2016; and WHEREAS, St. Mary's Hospital was rededicated on January 9, 2016, exactly 50 years after the original dedication ceremony on January 9, 1966; and WHEREAS, established by the Sisters of Bon Secours, St. Mary's Hospital was the first Catholic hospital in Central Virginia, and it was the first hospital in Central Virginia to be established and operated by women; and WHEREAS, St. Mary's Hospital was the first integrated hospital in Richmond; the Sisters of Bon Secours went against established norms and insisted that the hospital be fully integrated, including patients, employees, and medical staff; and WHEREAS, the Sisters of Bon Secours admitted the first patient to St. Mary's Hospital on February 15, 1966; at the time, the hospital had 196 beds and 250 employees; and WHEREAS, the Sisters of Bon Secours operated St. Mary's Hospital based on the principles of holistic care and a culture of compassion, care, and collaboration; 42 Sisters of Bon Secours have served at St. Mary's Hospital in its 50-year history; and WHEREAS, St. Mary's Hospital has enjoyed significant growth throughout its history and now employs more than 3,000 doctors and staff; the hospital offers a wide array of services, including cardiology, women's, children's, orthopedics, oncology, and neurosciences departments, among others, and surgery; and WHEREAS, since 2009, St. Mary's Hospital has held a magnet designation for nursing, awarded by the American Academy of Nursing to hospitals that have demonstrated excellence in patient care; and WHEREAS, St. Mary's Hospital has provided innovative programs, including mobile health services through Care-a-Van, the Evelyn D. Reinhart Guest House for families of patients who live more than 30 miles away, and the Community Hospice House in Chesterfield County; and WHEREAS, over the years, St. Mary's Hospital has provided the highest quality health care services to the Richmond community, and it is committed to the needs of patients throughout the region regardless of their ability to pay; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend St. Mary's Hospital, an exceptional hospital in the Bon Secours Richmond Health System, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Dr. Francine Barr, chief executive officer of St. Mary's Hospital, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the hospital's commitment to the citizens of Richmond. |