This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
St. Mark's Hospital is celebrating its 140th birthday and its roots as Utah's first hospital, founder of the first nursing school in the Intermountain West and the former home of care provided to children with the support of the Shriners.
Longtime employees and hospital leaders will gather to mark the anniversary Monday at 11 a.m., and the community is welcome. The lobby of the hospital at 1200 East 3900 South will display historic photographs and memorabilia.
Episcopalian Bishop Daniel S. Tuttle oversaw the opening of the first St. Mark's Hospital on April 30, 1872 — six beds in a rented adobe house at 500 East 400 South in Salt Lake City. According to a timeline compiled by the hospital for the celebration:
• The hospital incorporated in 1879, and moved to a second location in July 1893, at 300 West 700 North, providing 35 beds. Its School of Nursing was established in 1894.
• In 1925, St. Mark's Hospital welcomed Shriner's Hospital for Handicapped Children, located there for 25 years.
• The hospital broke ground for its current location in 1970, and moved in 1973. Patients were moved by ambulances departing every five minutes.
The Episcopal Diocese of Utah sold the hospital in 1987 to the Hospital Corporation of America, and St. Mark's is operated by its MountainStar division. MountainStar also runs Ogden Regional Medical Center and Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful.
Today, St. Mark's has 317 licensed beds and more than 1,500 employees and volunteers, according to its website. Its staff performs more than 15,000 surgeries a year and provides care for 80,000-plus outpatient visits.