History

The St. Vincent Charity story began in 1851 when the first Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine (CSA) arrived in Cleveland from France to serve as the city’s first public health nurses. They came to Cleveland at the request of Bishop Amadeus Rappe, the first bishop of Cleveland.

Against the backdrop of a soul-searing Civil War, new life was teeming on the streets, avenues, shores, railways and alleys of Cleveland. However, without a hospital the city could not serve the railroad and steamboat disaster victims and returning Civil War soldiers who were requiring immediate medical attention and nursing care.

Proposing the City’s First Hospital
In 1863, Bishop Rappe had proposed to Cleveland City Council that Cleveland build a hospital to care for wounded soldiers, with nursing care to be provided by the Sisters. City council appointed a committee to investigate and immediately dissension occurred. Newspaper editorials opposed a hospital under Catholic auspices since nine-tenths of the taxpayers were Protestants, and proposed instead the establishment of a nonsectarian hospital.

Familiar with failure and discouragement, Bishop Rappe made another attempt. He offered to build a hospital and provide Sisters to care for the patients if the citizens would furnish adequate financial support.

Cleveland citizens agreed and the site—at Perry Street (now East 22nd Street) between Marion and Garden Streets (now Central Avenue)—was purchased for $10,000. The initial hospital cost $72,000, of which $42,000 was raised from the primarily Protestant Cleveland community.

The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine stated that patients would be received regardless of religious belief and that those unable to pay would have their care paid for by the city.
Mother Augustine was the first superior of the hospital. She and seven Sisters took up their duties on October 5, 1865.

Responding to Unmet Needs
As the CSA Congregation grew, the Sisters continued to respond to unmet community needs of the changing times. The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine established hospitals, schools and dozens of health and social service programs in Ohio and South Carolina. The health care ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System has an extensive history of innovation and quality.

Moving ahead to the 21st Century, St. Vincent Charity Hospital was renamed St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in 2010. Major shifts in health care before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic created a challenging environment for St. Vincent Charity Medical Center to continue as a traditional acute care hospital.

Responding to Unmet Needs
As the CSA Congregation grew, the Sisters continued to respond to unmet community needs of the changing times. The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine established hospitals, schools and dozens of health and social service programs in Ohio and South Carolina. The health care ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System has an extensive history of innovation and quality.

Moving ahead to the 21st Century, St. Vincent Charity Hospital was renamed St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in 2010. Major shifts in health care before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic created a challenging environment for St. Vincent Charity Medical Center to continue as a traditional acute care hospital.

Transitioning to Outpatient Care
In November 2022, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center became St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center after transitioning from acute care (inpatient) to ambulatory care only (outpatient). The same shifts in health care led to the closure of some outpatient services a couple years later, including the urgent care center and the use of the former St. Vincent Charity Medical Center building.

After extensive evaluation of the St. Vincent Charity Medical Center facilities, it was determined that, because of the high maintenance costs of the aging facilities, an adaptive reuse was not financially feasible or sustainable. That led to the demolition of several buildings in 2025.

The St. Vincent Charity Health & Healing Hub
While the former St. Vincent Charity Medical Center no longer exists in its previous form, the high-quality provision of addiction medicine services through Rosary Hall and primary care continue in the Sisters of Charity Health System headquarters building as part of the St. Vincent Charity Health & Healing Hub.

Located on the 7-acre campus of the former St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, the St. Vincent Charity Health & Healing Hub serves as a hub for the community, offering comprehensive programming and services to address the most critical needs of Cleveland’s Central neighborhood and beyond—carrying on a legacy of health and healing that began in 1865.