Title...
Proclamation congratulating St. Clair Hospital upon the occasion of its 60th anniversary.
Body...
WHEREAS, in 1941, Dr. Arthur S. Haines, a dedicated Mt. Lebanon physician, decided that the residents of the South Hills needed a hospital of their own. Formed in 1945, the St. Clair Hospital Auxiliary sponsored bake sales, raffles and flower sales, while community members worked with area businesses for corporate and employee donations. The Silhol family donated land on the corner of Bower Hill Road and Wren Drive for the hospital building; and
WHEREAS, after 10 years of tirelessly working to raise funds and find property, St. Clair Hospital opened on February 22, 1954 with 104 beds and 35 bassinets; and
WHEREAS, today, St. Clair Hospital is an acute care facility that provides advanced, high quality health care to more than 500,000 residents of southwestern Pennsylvania. With 550 physicians and more than 2,200 employees, St. Clair is the largest employer in the South Hills and has contributed $6.3 million in taxes paid to the community; and
WHEREAS, over the decades, three leaders: Courtland E. Chandlee, Benjamin E. Snead, and James M. Collins have created a vision for the hospital, allowing it to remain independent, as other health care facilities have been taken over by insurance companies and embroiled themselves in marketing wars; and
WHEREAS, St. Clair Hospital has been recognized for its excellence and efficiency by Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) having been named one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals in 2012 and 2014. This honor signifies that St. Clair Hospital delivers higher quality, higher satisfaction and lower costs to patients;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Allegheny County Council, on behalf of the citizens of Allegheny County, does hereby congratulate St. Clair Hospital upon the monumental occasion of its 60th anniversary. FURTHERMORE, this Council honors St. Clair's medical staff, employees and volunteers for ensuring that the community's health needs are met and for serving as a model of excellence.