By Carly Manino
UPMC
Passavant is marking a very special anniversary today. The hospital opened its doors fifty years ago on Feb. 24, 1964, following the
community-driven "Bring It North" campaign that supported the
relocation of Passavant Hospital, originally called the Pittsburgh Infirmary,
from the Hill District section of Pittsburgh to the North Hills in
McCandless.
According to Pat Kutcher,
member of the Passavant Hospital Auxiliary, Hospital Board of Trustees, and the
Hospital Foundation Board, “Bring It North” was established by North Hills’
community members and included door-to-door fundraising and a petition
campaign.
“We needed a hospital in the North Hills,” Kutcher said. “The
support shown by the residents of the North Hills at the time was
immense.”
Fifty years later, UPMC
Passavant has grown to become an advanced tertiary care center that provides
patients of the North Hills and surrounding communities access to highly
specialized medical and surgical treatments by expertly trained physicians at
two campuses in McCandless and Cranberry.
“As a result of community
efforts and generosity decades ago, UPMC Passavant today offers our patients
high-quality care supported by the resources of an academic medical center,”
said David Martin, UPMC Passavant president. “At UPMC Passavant, we are as
committed as we were at our founding to providing our patients and their
families with excellent patient care today and for the next 50 years.”
As it has since the hospital
was established in the North Hills, the community continues to support UPMC
Passavant, today through the Passavant
Hospital Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing
health and wellness through education, outreach and grant making. A
valuable component of the foundation is the Passavant Hospital Auxiliary, a
group of volunteers that is dedicated to the support of UPMC Passavant and that
includes members who have served Passavant since its founding.
Over the years, the foundation
and auxiliary have provided more than $122 million for hospital projects, a
number of which were completed in recent years. Through the foundation's
outreach programs, members of the community have been provided with
opportunities to embrace healthier lifestyles.
“Passavant Hospital Foundation
is a visible extension of Passavant’s legacy as the region’s leading provider
of health care,” said Fay Morgan, president and CEO, Passavant Hospital
Foundation. “We are confident that members
of the North Hills community will continue to support UPMC Passavant as they
have for 50 years, so that the hospital can best advance care and serve the
community.” Labels: UPMC Passavant
