Company Profile
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center
Company Overview
About Us
In 1901, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Belvidere, Ill. agreed to establish a hospital in Lewiston, Idaho. On Feb. 8, 1902, St. Joseph Hospital opened in a seven-room frame house. Despite the rugged conditions and limited space, the community recognized the need for a larger hospital and banded together to build and open a 50-bed facility in 1903.
Today, you can find that same commitment and dedication at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. St. Joseph remains a leader in health care and is the largest full service medical center between Boise and Spokane. St. Joseph strives to stay up-to-date with the newest technology to help our citizens enjoy healthy lives.
St. Joseph employees strive to provide phenomenal service. It's more than just a goal—it's a feeling. We realize that hospitals can be a scary place for some, but we will be there every step of the way. We have the information, the tools and the people to make our patients better and help them get back to their normal life.
St. Joseph continues its commitment to the people of our region and to our community. The same spirit that those pioneer sisters brought to Lewiston is alive today as we continue the sisters' philosophy and mission.
Regional Information
Lewiston is located at the confluence of the scenic Snake and Clearwater rivers, approximately 465 river miles from the Pacific Ocean. Lewiston is the most inland seaport on the West Coast. Through the Columbia-Snake waterway and three port districts, the community serves as an economic hub for the Inland Northwest and a window to the Pacific Rim.
The cities of Lewiston and adjoining Clarkston, Wash., trace their heritage to the 1804-1806 expedition of Captains Meriwether Lewiston and William Clark—a journey commissioned by the nation's third president, Thomas Jefferson, to seek and chart a new trade route to Asia. Two centuries later, the Lewiston area (with a population of approximately 56,000) indeed plays an integral role in the economic and cultural link of the Pacific Northwest and Asian trading partners that include Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Russia and other countries.
Lewiston served as Idaho's first territorial capital in 1865, before the seat of government was moved to Boise in the state's southwest region. Lewiston grew seemingly overnight into a center of commerce and culture after the discovery of gold in the mountains of north central Idaho.
Lewiston's elevation is 738 feet and provides ideal temperature conditions, hence the nickname "Banana Belt". The average year-round high in Lewiston is 63 degrees; the average minimum is 41 degrees. When the surrounding area is covered in snow, Lewiston's average day-time highs range from 47.6 in November and 41 degrees in December to 39 degrees in January and 46 degrees in February. Annual precipitation is 12.63 inches, relatively evenly distributed throughout the year.
The moderate, inviting climate is ideal to year-round recreational pursuits golfing, fishing, hunting, cycling—to name a few. The area has an extensive paved path along the rivers for walking, running and cycling, and Lewiston was named one of the top outdoor recreation cities in the United States by Outdoor Life.
Lewiston is located approximately 100 miles south of Spokane and 270 miles north of Boise. Both Portland and Seattle are about a six-hour drive away
Mission & Philosophy
Statement of Mission
St. Joseph Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) seeks to enhance the quality of life of the residents of its service area through the promotion of health, the prevention of disease and injury, and the provision of health services. SJRMC witnesses to the saving presence and mercy of the risen Christ by:
Providing quality restorative, preventive and acute health care services.
Respecting human dignity in the experience of sickness and death.
Fostering the physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social well-being of people.
Statement of Philosophy
SJRMC is a nonprofit Catholic hospital. It's primary purpose is to continue Christ's mission of mercy by meeting the health care needs of individuals and the community. The health care philosophy of SJRMC is based on the Catholic beliefs that:
Each person has uniqueness and dignity in the spiritual, psychological, social and physical aspects of his or her nature.
Human life is sacred in its conception, birth, growth, maturity and transformation through natural death to eternal life.
Proper and competent means shall be taken to prevent and cure illness and alleviate suffering in the whole person without regard to race, creed, national origin, economic status or ability to pay.
Company History
Our History and Story
At the turn of the 20th century, the Rev. Hubert A. Post, SJ appointed pastor of St. Stanislaus Church in Lewiston, worked diligently to have a hospital established to care for the sick in a largely unreligious community. His appeal for help was answered by three sisters from the midwest. Sister Aurelia Bracken, Sister Angelica Heenan, SSJ (Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, Ind.) and Sister Dominica Ryan, SSJ (Sisters of St. Joseph of Belvedere, Ill.), arrived in Lewiston and began working on establishing a hospital.
On Feb. 8, 1902, St. Joseph Hospital, a seven-room frame house, opened at 325 Snake River Ave. The three sisters worked day and night, providing not only nursing care, but also doing all of the cooking and cleaning. Despite the rugged conditions and limited space, the community recognized the need for a larger hospital and banded together to build and open a 50-bed facility in 1903 on 4.6 acres deeded to the sisters by the Jesuit fathers. The hospital was built of bricks at its current location of 415 Sixth St.
The sisters formed the Sisters of St. Joseph of Idaho. The hospital was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in March 1918. However, the influenza epidemic took its toll on Sisters caring for the ill. From October 1918 to July 1919, seven Sisters died from influenza.
That same year, the St. Joseph School of Nursing was established and ,six years later, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Idaho joined with the Sisters of St. Joseph Carondelet.
From these rugged and challenging beginnings, the sisters forged the current St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. Today, it's the largest hospital between Boise and Spokane. The spirit and dedication of these original sisters still lives today through our philosophy, mission and values.
Benefits
To ensure we attract and retain high-quality associates, we offer a benefits program that is comprehensive, affordable and full of choices. Our benefits are designed with the health and well-being of our associates and their family members in mind.