St. Joseph Hospital is a two-campus medical center and Level II Trauma Center in Bellingham tending to the communities in northwestern Washington, in the Whatcom Region. St. Joseph Hospital is a short term hospital that counts with 253 certified beds and 24 bassinets in the newborn nursery. St. Joseph Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Committee on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), Licensed and inspected by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), is a member of PeaceHealth and participates with the Medicare and Medicaid programs. PeaceHealth guided by the values of an order of progressive religious women, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, has become nationally recognized for both exceptional medicine and compassionate care.
In 1890, two members of the fledgling Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace left their convent in Newark, New Jersey, bound for Fairhaven, Washington, with the mission of building a hospital to care for loggers, mill workers, fisherman and their families. Therefore, in 1891, in Whatcom County, St. Joseph was established. The hospital?s main campus was then relocated to its present site in 1966 and was subject of major building projects in subsequent years. To this day, the religious community remains committed to its Foundress's vision of achieving peace through social justice in its life and ministries.
St. Joseph Hospital offers a wide array of healthcare services like: Adult Day Services, Behavioral Health, Bridge Assistance/Charity Care, Cancer Services, Cardiovascular Services, Center for Senior Health, Childbirth Center, Continuing Medical Education, Emergency services and trauma center, Facility Expansion, Foundation, Hospice, Imaging Services, Northwest Regional Laboratory, Orthopedic surgery, Outpatient surgery, Parish Nurse Program, Rehabilitation Services, Spiritual Care and Women's and Children's Services. St. Joseph Hospital has also received several recognition and awards among which are: #1 in Washington State ranking for heart care as well as ranking in the top 10% of all hospitals nationwide in 2001. That same year it was awarded a 5-star rating for obstetric care. 100 Top Hospitals in the U.S. for heart care in 2000.