Transfer of patients marks close of St. Francis hospital in Beech Grove
As the end of the week arrived for consolidating clinical services, workers were busy removing external signage at Franciscan St. Francis Health’s hospital in Beech Grove. (Submitted photo) Click for a larger version.
Special to The Criterion
It has been a time of transition and memories, a time of wistfulness and appreciation.
At 12:10 p.m. on March 14, the last patient at Franciscan St. Francis Health’s hospital in Beech Grove was transported to the more modern Franciscan St. Francis Health’s hospital in Indianapolis, ending 98 years of in-patient care at the Beech Grove facility.
The transfer of that last patient ended more than a year of consolidation efforts between those two campuses of Franciscan St. Francis Health.
It also essentially closed the doors of the Beech Grove facility that has meant so much to so many people on the south side of Indianapolis for nearly a century.
That significance was recently recognized again by Franciscan St. Francis Health president Robert J. Brody and St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration Sister Marlene Shapley, vice president of mission services for Franciscan St. Francis Health. They issued a statement that pays tribute to the hospital’s past, present and future. Here is an edited version of that statement:
“Relationships often begin with a simple invitation. That is exactly how it began not long after the turn of the 20th century when clergy at the fledgling Holy Name Catholic Church and local citizens recognized there was a definitive need for a hospital in Beech Grove. They looked northward, far beyond Indianapolis’ city limits, and invited the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration to consider the possibilities.
“Two sisters made the trip by horse-drawn buggy from the St. Francis Convent in Lafayette in 1909. They met with Msgr. Peter Killian of Holy Name Catholic Church and looked at several parcels of land before selecting a site at the corner of Troy Avenue and Sherman Drive.
“Together, the sisters and Beech Grove got to work. By 1913, hammers were pounding, scaffolds were lifting steel and other materials. One year later, St. Francis Hospital—a fully modern medical facility—was opened to the public.
“In early 2007, we announced the consolidation of inpatient services and other clinical and support programs at Beech Grove to our Indianapolis campus at Emerson Avenue and Stop 11 Road. That campus—only seven miles away from Beech Grove—has been in operation since 1995. It was not an easy decision to make, but the reality was clear. Combining the two hospitals would enable us to operate more efficiently and strengthen our ability to deliver a level of care all of our patients deserve.
“Our health care ministry continues to be embodied in our Franciscan values—respect for life, fidelity to mission, compassionate concern, joyful service and Christian stewardship. These are the cornerstones of our mission.
“Understandably, this is an emotional time for many Beech Grove residents and for our staff, many of whom have called 1600 Albany St. ‘home’ for decades.
“For nearly a century, the hospital and its people have forged an endearing relationship with Beech Grove. The walls of the hospital echo more than just history; they resound with the cycle of life. It is a place where newborns took their first breath, where healing, comfort and compassion were extended. A place of shared laughter, tears and prayers. Where new friendships forged and careers launched. And, yes, a placed where earthly lives have ended.
“It has been our privilege, pleasure and point of pride to have cared for generations in Beech Grove. We have grown together and shared much. We have been good neighbors. As the sisters were invited to begin a health care ministry in Beech Grove, we are proud to have you continue to accompany us on that journey for years to come.”
The Beech Grove site will continue to be used for some outpatient services, including physical therapy, for the foreseeable future, according to hospital officials. †
