Medical Legacy
St. Joseph Hospital has been setting the gold standard for health care in Orange County as one of Orange County's first hospitals. Since opening in September of 1929, our dedication to service, compassion, and quality healthcare has put St. Joseph Hospital in the forefront of both medical innovation and medical triumph.
Our long history of past medical triumphs and medical firsts, as well as our continued dedication to remaining the best healthcare hospital in Orange County, makes our hospital the preferred choice.
Medical Milestones of the Past 50 Years
- 2009 - The Society of Thoracic Surgeons rated St. Joseph Hospital in the nation's top 12 percent for Adult Cardiac Surgery (for the third consecutive year)
- 2009 - First hospital in Orange County and one of the first on the West Coast to perform Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT), an advanced cancer-fighting technique. Learn more by clicking here.
- 2009 - First hospital in Orange County to be designated as "Baby Friendly" by UNICEF
- 2009 - Only hospital in Orange County to be ranked as an "America's Best Hospital" (top 50 in the nation) for Orthopedic care by U.S.News & World Report. This is the third year in a row St. Joseph Hospital received the prestigious distinction.
- 2009 - The Joint Commission grants St. Joseph Hospital the Gold Seal of Approval for Primary Stroke Centers.
- 2009 - Recognized by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.
- 2009 - The Society of Chest Pain Centers bestows St. Joseph Hospital's first three-year accreditation as a Chest Pain Center
- 2008 - The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment facility opened in July 2008
- 2007 - First Catholic hospital in California to receive Magnet designation for nursing excellence
- 2007 - Newly opened Patient Care Center makes St. Joseph Hospital the largest community hospital in Orange County
- 2007 - Only hospital in Orange County to be ranked as an "America's Best Hospital" (top 50 in the nation) for Orthopedic care by U.S.News & World Report
- 2007 - One of the first 10 National Cancer Insitute (NCI) Community Cancer Center Programs (NCCCP) in the nation and the only hospital on the West Coast with NCCCP status
- 2004 - First robotically assisted open heart procedure in Orange County
- 2003 - First hospital in Orange County to receive the American College of Radiology's Breast Ultrasound Accreditation in breast ultrasound, core-needle biopsy and fine-needle aspiration cytology
- 2003 - First personal hemodialysis system in Southern California
- 2003 - First drug eluting stent procedure in Orange
- 2003 - First bone morphogenic proteins spinal fusion in Orange
- 2003 - Hospital is awarded five-stars in Women's Health (Obstetrics and Women's Cardiac and Stroke Services) from Health Grades
- 2003 - First digital pacemaker implant in Orange
- 2003 - First aqueous oxygen procedure for acute heart attack in Orange County
- 2003 - First total hysterectomy using minimally invasive surgical robotic system in the nation
- 2002 - Hospital is awarded five stars in obstetrics and listed in the top five percent in the nation from Health Grades
- 2002 - First Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy machine in Orange County
- 2002 - First hospital-based nurse pre-licensure curriculum program with a local community college in Southern California
- 2002 - First Women's Heart Center in Orange County
- 2001 - First hospital-based Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner in Orange County
- 1999 - First pediatric dialysis center in Orange County
- 1998 - Hospital is awarded the Quality Leader Award from the National Research Corporation
- 1996 - First pediatric emergency room in Orange County
- 1996 - Mother/Baby Assessment Center receives Modern HealthCare Magazine's Award for Excellence in Risk Management
- 1995 - First intra-coronary stent procedure in Orange County
- 1992 - First free-standing outpatient surgery center in Orange County
- 1988 - First adult bone marrow transplant in Orange County
- 1987 - First athretectomy in Orange County
- 1986 -St. Joseph Hospital Cancer Center opens as Orange County's first comprehensive outpatient cancer care facility
- 1980 - First outpatient angioplasty in Orange County
- 1975 - First fetal monitoring unit in Southern California
- 1974 - First elbow replacement surgery in Orange County
- 1974 - First outpatient kidney dialysis unit in Orange County
- 1973 - First knee replacement surgery in Orange County
- 1972 - First ultrasound unit in Orange County
- 1970 - First nuclear medicine program in Orange County
- 1970 - First artificial hip replacement surgery in Orange County
- 1968 - First cancer program of its kind to be accredited by the American College of Surgeons
- 1966 - First cardiac care unit in Orange County
- 1964 - First intensive care unit in Orange County
- 1963 - First open-heart surgery in Orange County
- 1963 - First pacemaker procedure on the West Coast