A Century-Plus of Care

Carondelet Health Network Celebrates 145 Years in Southern Arizona

By Christy Krueger

A contagious disease spreading through the U.S., a new railroad system, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet all contributed to the founding of Arizona’s first hospital. St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson. It opened in 1880 and is celebrating its 145th anniversary this year.

Tuberculosis, a potentially lethal bacterial lung disease, was considered the leading cause of death in the country during the 1800s. Many doctors sent their patients to the Southwest for its warm, dry climate with hopes of healing. And as luck would have it, the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in Tucson the same year Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital opened with 12 beds. Soon after, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet created an isolation cottage at the hospital to receive the wave of tuberculosis patients arriving in Tucson.

The Sisters ran the hospital for many years, according to Father Showri, a Catholic hospital chaplain with Carondelet Health Network. “Carondelet’s impact on the community has been wonderful because of the Sisters. People flooded here and loved the care and affection.”

The priest’s historical notes indicate Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital has always been in the same location, but it has undergone several reconstructions. “The wooden beams in and the doors of the chapel at St. Mary’s are from its original chapel; they’re historical, dating from the late 19th Century. There are pictures on the hospital walls from the 1880s and into the 1900s.” 

In 1961, Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital was built on the east side, and by 2015, it had 480 beds, Showri said. “Before then, there was nothing there. In recent years, it became a Level 1 Trauma Center and added neurological, neonatal, cardiology, and orthopedic services.”

Volunteers, The Core of Carondelet

In 2015, a partnership of three companies took over Carondelet Health Network, but the hospital continues to welcome priests and nuns throughout the facilities. Chaplains are on call, priests are available for confessions and last rites, and there are family support counselors. 

“Our volunteers play a huge role,” Showri said. “Carondelet Health Network provides service to our community, and our community of volunteers touch the lives of our patients and their loved ones daily. Volunteers’ activities range widely from answering phones to being a friendly face to help visitors and patients get where they need to go, they continue to make a positive impact on those who enter a Carondelet Health Network hospital. I’m proud to say that I was a volunteer in 2015.”

No matter the department, volunteers help ease the stress of being in a hospital. 

Eva Jane Chartier is the Volunteer Services Coordinator for Carondelet St. Mary’s and Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospitals, with approximately 80 volunteers who work weekly. Carondelet’s Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales has a small number of volunteers. According to Chartier, the volunteers are a diverse group. “At St. Joseph’s, our volunteers are individuals of all ages and backgrounds who want to give back or have a special tie to one or both hospitals. They typically work at the same hospital each week.”

At Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, the majority of volunteers are college students with some being pre-med or nursing. There are also some high school students, who tend to work at both hospitals.

“As we approach our 145th anniversary in Southern Arizona, our volunteers play a pivotal role in making positive impressions on anyone who visits us,” Chartier said. “They’re the first face a patient or their loved one sees upon entering our hospital lobbies, often assist visitors arrive at their intended destinations, and also help expectant parents complete their paperwork.”

Some volunteers in ambulatory surgery help families follow their family member’s progression through surgery. “Loved ones are given a code and then they can track the surgery progress on TV screens that update them on the stage of their loved one’s surgery,” Chartier explained. “Maintaining open lines of communication with family members of our patients offers a sense of calm during an often stressful time in their lives. The care and compassion that volunteers show families makes a difference.”

Investments in New Technology, Partnerships

Overseeing all areas and facilities of Carondelet Health Network is Market CEO Monica Vargas-Mahar, who chose healthcare as her career because she wanted to help people. And she understands the positive impact Carondelet has had in the community, even years before she arrived.

“Countless lives have been saved, many thousands of babies born, hope and healing brought to people who have been afforded a chance to live full lives,” said Vargas-Mahar. “I am most proud of the people I work with everyday who bring their authentic selves to Carondelet.” She’s also proud of the partnerships that have developed in the community such as with El Rio Health.

Working in a hospital setting can sometimes be emotionally difficult. To boost morale, Carondelet’s leaders meet daily to share positive stories about the great patient care they witness. Vargas-Mahar recalled a letter from a patient’s long-time friend who wrote, “I have seen, and firsthand experienced, many facilities in my life, but never have I experienced a place like yours. Your staff in an inspiration to me.”

According to Vargas-Mahar, Carondelet’s future includes providing the safest and highest quality care possible for the residents of southern Arizona by using the latest technological and medical advancements at all campuses.

Significant investments the organization has recently made include Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital’s new da Vinci 5 robot, the first in Tucson; the CORI robot; and Farapulse technologies. Carondelet St. Joseph’s Aquablation, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat benign enlarged prostate; a MAKO robot for orthopedic services.

Vargas-Mahar feels these technologies are major game changers in medicine. 

“Robotic procedures can shorten a patient’s stay in the hospital, lessen post-operative pain and lead to faster recovery times.” Cardiologists are using a new handheld imaging system that allows them to see how well the patient’s blood is flowing.

Carondelet Health Network is also investing in partnerships aimed at advancing surgical care in Tucson and Southern Arizona. Last year, five local surgeons — Dr. Katie Artz, Dr. Tiffany Son, Dr. Joseph DeVitis and Dr. Kelly Favre – joined Carondelet Medical Group and created their new practice, Carondelet Medical Group – Surgical Specialists. This medical group expands access to services needed in our community. Together, Carondelet Medical Group – Surgical Specialists is better able to meet the surgical needs of the community by offering collaborative care and surgical treatment options – all in one convenient location.

To recognize how far Carondelet has come and the importance of all who have helped it grow, associates have been enjoying special events and receiving 145th anniversary items.

“Our chapels have had renovations in preparation for this momentous occasion, recognizing that they are truly places of healing and peace,” Vargas-Mahar said. The hospitals will also be receiving a special blessing from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson. 

“The foundation of a great community is built by the very people who each day work to make it a better place for future generations,” Vargas-Mahar said. “It took people to make our 145th anniversary a reality, so we are celebrating our people leading up to and after the special day.”

PHOTOS COURTESY CARONDELET HEALTH NETWORK

READ THE FULL SPECIAL REPORT HERE.