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Source: Dr. Robert S. Sherins, assistant archivist, Providence Saint John's Health Center 1991 John Wayne Cancer Institute moves to Saint John's under the direction of Dr. Donald Morton 2004 North Pavilion opens; renamed the Chan Soon-Shiong Center for Life Sciences in 2007 2016-2022 Saint John's adds new specialty institutes: the Digestive Health Institute, Heart and Vascular Institute, Orthopedics and Spine Institute, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Saint John's Cancer Institute and Women's Health and Wellness Institute 2009 Howard Keck Center opens 2022 A ceremony marks the departure of the Sisters of Charity; Saint John's celebrates 80 years of serving the community. 2014 Providence Health & Services assumes sponsorship 1994 Northridge earthquake severely damages the hospital director of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at Providence Saint John's since 1993; former president of the medical staff and chairman of the department of surgery; and a member of the Saint John's Foundation Board of Trustees. Dr. Robertson joined Providence Saint John's in 1987. "The standards were very high from the very first day," says Dr. Robertson. "Louis E. Mahoney, MD, was the first chief of staff. He was the driving force who worked with the sisters to get things going." Medical board certification quickly became mandatory. The hospital was a leader in establishing new specialties and subspecialties as they evolved. Providence Saint John's has pioneered an impressive number of medical advances over the years. Donald L. Morton, MD, cofounder of the John Wayne Cancer Institute, now known as the Saint John's Cancer Institute, was an early advocate of immunotherapy research to treat cancer and spearheaded the development of the sentinel node biopsy for melanoma and breast cancer, a technique used to measure how much cancer has spread and the extent of surgery needed. "Dr. Morton was very successful in performing academic-level work at a community hospital," Dr. Robertson says. "That's a primary example of how a community hospital can function like a university hospital but without the trappings of a university." Leading-edge medicine was established early in cardiac care, he says, noting that Providence Saint John's helped pioneer open- heart surgeries in 1961. In more recent years, cardiologist Shephal K. Doshi, MD, was one of the first cardiologists in the country to offer the Watchman device for atrial fibrillation. The hospital's orthopedics department was among the first to offer partial knee replacement surgery and one of the first to utilize the Mako robotic system for knee replacements. Providence Saint John's has also been a leader in women's health, establishing one of the first laborist programs in the nation. Its neurosurgery department, in association with Pacific Neuroscience Institute, is a leader in minimally invasive neurosurgical techniques and is at the forefront of advances in treating brain cancer. Philanthropy also has long played a major role in the health center's excellence, Ricks notes. "Philanthropy is another characteristic that differentiates us. It says a lot about what the community wants and expects and is willing to partner with us to achieve." And while the sisters no longer walk the halls of the health center—the two remaining Sisters of Charity returned to the Mother House in Leavenworth, Kansas, in July—their presence is felt and their words are remembered, Makarewicz says. "I've always taken inspiration from the words of Mother Xavier Ross, the founder of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, who said, 'Look forward to the good that is yet to be,' " he says. "That quote speaks to the sense of hope about the future. The sisters had a strong sense of hope. We have a photo of the sisters in 1941, standing with the architect and construction company on the foundation of the hospital, just when the war broke out. Resources were limited and the obstacles were huge, and yet they built this incredible, lasting ministry that has gone on for 80 years. We are entrusted to carry their mission forward, and we have been inspired." To learn more about Providence Saint John's Health Center, visit providence.org/saintjohns or call 310-829-5511.

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