Spokane Milestone Highlights

1886 – Sacred Heart Hospital (now Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center) founded

1925 – St. Joseph Home for the Aged (now Providence St. Joseph Care Center) founded

Sacred Heat Hospital

1926 – Provincial Administration of St. Ignatius Province moves from Missoula, Montana to Sacred Heart Hospital, Spokane

1951 – Provincial Administration of St. Ignatius Province moves to Mount St. Joseph, Spokane, which also provides a home and long-term care for retired sisters

1986 – The Sisters of Providence in St. Ignatius Province, in collaboration with the Sinsinawa Dominicans, Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, and the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary open Miryam’s House, a home for women in transition in Spokane

1992 – Providence Services established as a holding company to oversee and serve as the Sisters’ representative for Providence-sponsored ministries in Washington and Montana

2000 – The sisters of St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart provinces come together to form Mother Joseph Province. The new province sponsors both Providence Services and Providence Health System entities, as well as several other ministries and intercommunity programs. The transition Leadership Team commutes between the Spokane and Seattle offices.

2005 – Alaine Qualls named the first lay provincial secretary.

2006 – Providence Services and Providence Health System unite as a single health system serving Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Montana

2008 – Mother Joseph Province Provincial Administration offices in Spokane and Seattle merge and move to the Providence campus in Renton, Wash. Some staff remain in Spokane as a satellite office

2011-2013 – Due to the declining number of sisters living in the healthcare unit at Mount St. Joseph, all 10 sisters move to St. Joseph Residence in Seattle as space becomes available, closing the healthcare unit.

2013 – After 62 years in operation, Mount St. Joseph is sold to Sacred Heart Medical Center (Inland Northwest Washington Region). Bishop Blase Cupich gives a beautiful and thoughtful reflection at the closing ceremony in the Mount’s chapel on January 30. 

2021 – Provincial Administration offices and the religious community library relocate to the southeast wing of Mount St. Joseph

2022 – Providence Archives artifacts collections also relocates from the lower level of the west side of Mount St. Joseph to near the provincial administration offices and library