St. Rita’s Celebrates 100 Years

A century of quality, compassionate care in Lima

If you’re in or around the Lima region, you’ve likely heard of St. Rita’s Medical Center. As the largest health care provider in the 10-county region, St. Rita’s has become a community staple, caring for nearly 200,000 patients each year.

And while each patient is equally significant, this year is different than the rest. 2018 marks the 100^th anniversary of St. Rita’s Medical Center. We hope you’ll join us to celebrate this centennial year, and all of the accomplishments that this represents.

In 1918, the Sisters of Mercy came to Lima, driven to respond to a pandemic flu outbreak. During this time, the need for quality health care was so great that St. Rita’s opened its doors before physical doors were even built.

Since then, St. Rita’s has added many doors. Between a medical center, two emergency departments, three urgent care centers, 11 family medicine offices, a heart institute, neuroscience institute, and cancer center, St. Rita’s has earned a reputation for responding to the needs of the community with the utmost care and compassion.

Highlights include administering the first successful rabies treatment, gaining national recognition for the birth of identical quadruplets and opening a nursing school. Bob Baxter, President and CEO of Mercy Health’s Lima Region, said that while many changes have taken place, one of the best parts about St. Rita’s has been its ability to stick to its core values.

“We have been called by our founding sisters to remain committed to the needs of our time and as those needs change, so must we,” he said. “A centennial year is certainly a time to pause and reflect on our past and all that we have accomplished. However, my challenge to the team at St. Rita’s continues to be one of looking ahead.”

So what’s next for St. Rita’s? We will continue to stay committed to the promise of Mercy Health — to genuinely enjoy being of service, to make health care easier and to makes lives better — mind, body and spirit. We’re also throwing a big party to celebrate, and we hope you’ll join us.

St. Rita’s  100-Year Community Celebration Event Details

We invite everyone in the community to join us from 10 am to 2 pm on June 9 at St. Rita’s Medical Center’s Silver Parking Lot. Highlights of the event include:

• Interactive games
• Fitness and food demonstrations
• Exhibits showcasing St. Rita’s history
• Touch-a-truck experience
• Celebration photo mosaic
• Free lunch and treats

No RSVP is required and parking is available in the main St. Rita’s lot.

We hope you’ll join us for this celebration, as we look back on the past 100 years and look forward to what the next 100 years will bring. St. Rita’s is proud to be a part of the Lima community, and we look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence and care for our community.

Has St. Rita’s touched the life of you or a loved one? Share your experience with us in the comments!