During the late 1890's, local Catholic physicians identified the need for a Catholic hospital to meet the holistic healthcare needs of the European immigrant populations who were flocking to Bridgeport. The doctors contacted Father Nihill, then Pastor of St. Patrick's Church on North Avenue in Bridgeport, and asked for his assistance in contacting the Daughters of Charity, a religious women's community known for their work in hospitals, orphanages and schools.
The Daughters of Charity came to Bridgeport, conducted a needs assessment and determined that a second hospital was indeed needed in Bridgeport. It was decided that the hospital would be built in the north end of the city on a tract of land known as Hawley Farm. The hospital was incorporated in accordance with State of Connecticut laws on May 19, 1903. Cost to construct the 75-bed building was recorded at approximately $250,000. The hospital's cupola on top of the building quickly became a landmark in the city.
St. Vincent's Hospital opened its doors on June 28, 1905. By the end of the first day, more than 70 patients had been treated. The Daughters of Charity knew their decision to build a hospital in Bridgeport, to serve the sick and poor, was right.
Over the years, the hospital building was expanded and educational programs and patient services were added, including a School of Nursing and Allied Health and Medical Residency programs. Today, St. Vincent's continues its commitment to education in healthcare fields through programs offered at St. Vincent's College and St. Vincent's Medical Center's Graduate Medical Education Program.
As more doctors joined the staff, the hospital was forced to add a fourth floor and side buildings to meet patient care demands. Many people in the community donated their hard-earned money to St. Vincent's, to help the hospital grow. The community's strong dedication to the hospital reinforced to the Daughters of Charity that the Vincentian charism was greatly needed by both the rich and poor of Bridgeport.
Eventually the hospital outgrew its capacity. The building, although adequately maintained for its age, needed dramatic modernization. It soon became evident that the entire building would need to be replaced.
During the mid-1970s a decision was made to move the hospital from the City of Bridgeport to a tranquil suburban setting in adjacent Town of Fairfield. Unexpected building and land development costs and concern over inner city patient access to the hospital, especially the elderly and families using services at the clinics, caused the Daughters of Charity and Board of Directors to rethink their decision to move the hospital out of Bridgeport. After much deliberation, an announcement that St. Vincent's would remain in Bridgeport was made. The Daughters of Charity wanted to remain true to their 1903 commitment to serve the sick and the poor of Bridgeport. The Fairfield property was sold to General Electric Company and eventually became GE's worldwide headquarters.
Building of the new hospital began behind the old building. On Easter Sunday, April 17, 1976, William J. Riordan, President and Chief Executive Officer, directed the transfer of 209 patients from the old St. Vincent's Hospital to the new St. Vincent's Medical Center, a 440,000 square foot building almost twice the size of the old one. The name was changed from St. Vincent's Hospital to St. Vincent's Medical Center, to reflect the organization's expansion and offering of additional comprehensive services.
Today, St. Vincent’s continues its mission of the work of the Daughters of Charity and their commitment to serve the sick and poor of Bridgeport. St. Vincent’s Medical Center is a licensed 473-bed community teaching and referral hospital with a Level II trauma center and a 76-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Westport. The Medical Center has more than 450 active physicians and employs more than 2,000 people. The Medical Center is the flagship organization in the St. Vincent’s Health Services system and offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient services with regional centers of excellence in cardiology, surgery, cancer care, orthopedics, diagnostics, women’s and family services, behavioral health, senior health and an array of specialized services.
A member of Ascension Health, St. Vincent’s Health Services includes the Medical Center, Hall-Brooke Behavioral Health Services, St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health Services, Westport Campus, St. Vincent’s College, St. Vincent’s Special Needs Services, St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation and St. Vincent’s Immediate Health Care Centers.
In 2007, the Medical Center broke ground on the largest expansion project in the history of the hospital—a $145 million master facilities plan. The project includes the Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, the renovated and expanded Michael J. Daly Emergency Department, renovation of all major clinical areas on Level II and a new 630-car parking garage.
