NSMC News Releases
SALEM, MA – Salem Hospital celebrated its 150th anniversary during a ceremony held in its main lobby Tuesday.
Hospital leaders, employees, and local dignitaries - including Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo, State Senator Joan Lovely, and members of the Salem City Council - were among those in attendance for a speaking program that also featured historical banners, exhibits, and refreshments.
“Salem is fortunate to have a rich diversity of health care options…but it requires a beating heart. And that beating heart is Salem Hospital and it has been for 150 years,” said Mayor Pangallo.
The hospital admitted its first patient on October 1, 1874 – a 28-year-old pregnant woman who had accidently fallen into a kettle of boiling water. Hospital records show she remained a patient for three months after suffering burns to her arms and abdomen. Months after she was released, she returned to the hospital and gave birth to a healthy baby.
Salem Hospital's milestones and history
“As we have since that first day, the team at Salem Hospital healed, comforted, and sent a patient home to loved ones. That is an incredible legacy,” said president and chief operating officer Roxanne Ruppel. “This story reminds us of our shared purpose and how important we are to the patients and families in this community.
The founding of the hospital dates to the late 19th century and wealthy Salem ship owner John Bertram. After falling ill and receiving private care in his home, Bertram recognized that few in the community could afford the health care he received. With the support of equally compassionate civic leaders, he secured a charter from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to create a hospital in Salem for those in need, and donated $25,000 and a brick mansion at 31 Charter Street to serve as the hospital’s first home. The hospital opened in 1874 with 12 beds and eventually grew to 76 beds. It stood for nearly 40 years, until it was destroyed in the Great Fire of Salem in 1914. Three years later, an expanded Salem Hospital opened with 135 beds on Highland Avenue. The hospital remains in that same location today, with 371 licensed beds.
Ruppel highlighted the progress the Salem Hospital has made, noting that medicine was just beginning to adopt the use of anesthesia when it first opened. Now, it conducts surgeries on patients using robots and sends them home the same day.
“Over the years, we have continued to grow and change to meet the needs of our diverse and vibrant communities. From enriching our emergency, obstetrical, medical, and surgical capabilities, to developing a complex network of outpatient resources, to operating a 120-bed acute care psychiatric facility, to partnering with community health centers to serve those most in need, we have continually focused on providing exceptional, comprehensive care to all who turn to us,” she said.
Ruppel ended the speaking program by honoring the hospital’s staff.
“Throughout the past 150 years, our dedicated team has come together to care for this community, through times of war and pandemic, and at times of exciting growth and discovery…You are what makes Salem Hospital so special,” she said.