The History of Center for Health – Streator

The Beginning

1887: Streator’s founder, Col. Ralph Plumb, and the Rev. Henry O’Kelly requested the help of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Springfield to provide health care to the Streator community.

1887: A parcel of land was purchased to be used for a hospital.

1888: The new St. Mary’s Hospital was opened.

Early 1900s

1903: A new east wing was added.

1908: An X-ray machine was installed.

1915: A blessing was held for the new $100,00 addition to St. Mary’s Hospital.

1924: Construction began on a $90,000 south wing addition, expanding the number of beds at St. Mary’s Hospital to 120.

1930s & 1940s

Photo credit: The Daily Times Press, 6/14/1937

1937: St. Mary’s Hospital celebrated 50 years of service to the community.

1937: New state-of-the-art equipment was added to the X-ray laboratory, including a deep therapy machine for cancer treatments.

1939: A children’s ward was established.

1944: St. Mary’s Hospital was designated a “Depot Hospital” for penicillin. The drug was then distributed to other hospitals and used at the request of the physicians.

1960s

1961: Construction began on a new building; The original 1887 and 1902 buildings were razed to make room for the structure.

1963: A blessing was held for the new $8.3 million St. Mary’s Hospital.

1967: St. Mary’s Hospital cancer program was initiated under the auspices of the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.

1970s

1972: Gov. Richard Ogilvie designated St. Mary’s Hospital a Critical Care Center.

1973: The Vera Bundy Constant Care Unit was dedicated.

1979: St. Mary’s Hospital established home health services.

1979: St. Mary’s Hospital installed a CT scanner.

1980s & 1990s

Photo credit: The Times Press, 3/26/1985

1980: An ICU expansion opened.

1985: A comprehensive range of cardiac testing, treatment and rehabilitation services were introduced.

1987: A hospice care program was established.

1998: St. Mary’s Hospital purchased the Streator Ambulance Service.

1999: A groundbreaking was held for a $2.5 million expansion to St. Mary’s Hospital, adding surgical, laboratory and diagnostic services.

2000s

2000: The three-story, 2,500-square-foot addition was completed.

2002: A groundbreaking was held for a $5.8 million emergency services addition.

2003: A blessing and ribbon cutting was held for the new 7,200-square-foot emergency services addition.

2010s

2010: Saints Flight, a helicopter transport service, was stationed at St. Mary’s Hospital. It was the first hospital-basd medical transport in the area.

2016: HSHS closed St. Mary’s Hospital and donated the facilities to OSF HealthCare.

January 4, 2016: A special blessing and dedication ceremony was held in the facilities chapel to celebrate the opening of OSF Center for Health – Streator outpatient facility.

2017: OSF HealthCare donated $1 million to the Streator YMCA from the funds raised by the Friends of St. Mary’s.

2018: A groundbreaking was held for the new $30.5 million renovation.

2019: A grand reopening, ribbon cutting and community open house was held after completion of extensive exterior and interior renovations.

2020s

 2020: The Cancer Patient Resource Center and Wig Boutique opened with the help of sponsor, Park Presbyterian Church.

2020: Construction began on a 6,600-square-foot transportation building to house the ambulances and the OSF King Care-A-Van.