Salem Hospital Honors History, Staff At 150th Anniversary Celebration

SALEM, MA — Salem Hospital, which opened in 1874 with 12 beds as a center to provide medical care for those in need and was rebuilt three years after being destroyed in the Great Salem Fire of 1914, celebrated its 150th anniversary of service to the city and surrounding communities on Tuesday.

"As we have since that first day, the team at Salem Hospital healed, comforted, and sent a patient home to loved ones," Salem Hospital President Roxanne Ruppel said. "That is an incredible
legacy. This story reminds us of our shared purpose and how important we are to the patients and families in this community."

The history of the hospital began with Salem ship owner John Bertram securing a charter for the hospital as a center to give medical care to those in need after surviving his own medical scare with the help of home care to which he determined many residents had no access.

The hospital opened in a donated brick mansion at 31 Charter Street with 12 beds in 1874 and grew to 76 beds before being destroyed in the 1914 Salem fire. It reopened three years later on Highland Avenue with 135 beds and has since expanded to 371 licensed beds.

"Salem is fortunate to have a rich diversity of health care options," Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. "But it requires a beating heart. And that beating heart is Salem Hospital and it has been for 150 years."

Ruppel noted the medical advances seen within the hospital walls over the decades and credited staff past and present for the expansion and level of care that has been exhibited there.

"Over the years, we have continued to grow and change to meet the needs of our diverse and vibrant communities," she said. "From enriching our emergency, obstetrical, medical, and surgical capabilities, to developing a complex network of outpatient resources, to operating a 120-bed acute care psychiatric facility, to partnering with community health centers to serve those most in need, we have continually focused on providing exceptional, comprehensive care to all who turn to us."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)