Our History

St. Francis Medical Center was established in 1945 in response to the dramatic post-war population surge in Southeast Los Angeles. At the request of a group of community leaders led by Dr. Finis Cooper, Monsignor Thomas O’Dwyer of the Los Angeles Archdiocese enlisted the Sisters of Penance and Charity for this vital endeavor.

Under the leadership of Sister Noella Dieringer P.C., St. Francis Medical Center’s more than 75-year legacy of serving this community began on November 19, 1945.

Seemingly foretelling of “things to come,” last-minute preparations for the hospital’s opening ceremonies scheduled for 9:00 am were interrupted when an ambulance pulled up to the front entrance carrying a mother in labor. Hospital doors were opened early at 7:00 am, the patient was admitted, and within the hour the very first St. Francis baby was born!

Opening ceremonies went on as planned, and by the end of that first day of operations, 13 patients had been admitted to the new St. Francis Hospital.

Since that first day, St. Francis has continued to expand services to meet the healthcare needs of the community. In the 1960s, the hospital opened its Behavioral Health Unit, became a clinical campus for Compton College and graduated its first class of nursing professionals, and was selected as a Central Control Station for 31 Harbor area hospitals in a radio inter-communications system for major emergencies, laying the groundwork for us to become a base hospital for the L.A. County Emergency Medical Services network. Additional service line growth included the opening of our Telemetry Unit in 1976, the establishment of an Occupational Health and Industrial Medicine clinic in 1983, and the launch of our Trauma Center in 1996.

Changes to our name and campus also took place. In the 1980s under the sponsorship of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, our moniker transitioned from St. Francis Hospital to St. Francis Medical Center to reflect not only our tradition of delivering compassionate, quality care but also our reputation as a leading local institution with state-of-the-art capabilities and a commitment to training future healthcare professionals.

And in 1986, our Campus Renaissance began. The original 1945 structure was replaced with four new medical buildings, including our Patient Tower, Health Services Pavilion, Family Life Center, and Medical Plaza. During the 14-year construction project, St. Francis Medical Center did not lose a single day of patient care.

A few years after the start of the new millennium, St. Francis faced economic challenges that, due to a number of factors including a widespread recession and later the COVID-19 pandemic, continued for a decade. Thankfully, St. Francis received a much-needed lifeline. Recognizing the importance of the hospital to the community, Ontario-based Prime Healthcare successfully acquired St. Francis Medical Center in August 2020. Committed to saving hospitals, saving jobs, and saving lives, Prime invested more than $12.8 million into the hospital, including $1 million in capital improvements and nearly $5.5 million in equipment upgrades and supply purchases, including a new electronic medical record.  As a result, St. Francis was refocused and is now positioned for growth, ensuring ongoing access to quality care and services and providing benefits to both staff and patients.

As a member of Prime Healthcare, St. Francis Medical Center has become among the leading hospitals in the region, and its prominence as a “beacon of hope” has been restored. With a new sense of purpose, capital investment, and a renewed spirit of collaboration with local leaders, businesses, and residents, the hospital’s mission of care continues, and the next 75 years look extremely bright for St. Francis and the Southeast Los Angeles community.