Catholic Healthcare System
Hospital Sisters Health System, or HSHS, is a non-profit healthcare system headquartered in Springfield, Illinois. HSHS operates a network of 15 hospitals and other healthcare facilities throughout the midwestern U.S. states of Illinois, and Wisconsin. HSHS also operates St. John's College, the oldest Catholic hospital based nursing school in the United States.
HSHS generated significant controversy in 2024 when it abruptly closed two major hospitals in Northwestern Wisconsin, disrupting care for thousands of patients in the region, including hundreds of pregnant women who were left with no place to give birth. CEO Damond Boatwright attracted attention for making misleading claims about the closures, suggesting that state and local government officials had been promptly notified about the closures when neither local officials nor the Wisconsin governor had received such notice.
History.
The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis was founded in Telgte, Germany in 1844, and came to Springfield, Illinois in 1875. This same year, they founded their first hospital, St. John's Hospital.
The Hospital Sisters Health System was created in 1978 by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis to manage their network of hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin.
In 2008, HSHS created the HSHS Medical Group to help coordinate care between their hospitals.
St. John's College.
In 1886, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis founded St. John's Hospital School of Nursing.
At its inception, the college had a two-year diploma program for women in the religious order. In 1912, the college began accepting laywomen.
The college became accredited in 1952 by the National League for Nursing.
In 1991, the college became St. John's College, and began offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master's of Science in Nursing.
St. John's College is the oldest Catholic hospital based nursing school in the United States.
In 2016, the college unveiled a new expansion, which included a new simulation lab.
References.
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