History of Memorial Hospital of South Bend

From its beginning as a shelter for "unfortunates" to a leading regional health care resource, Memorial Hospital of South Bend has always been driven by a mission to serve the community. Our history of more than a century is spanned by the generations of loyal and talented medical and non-medical professionals and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to help improve the health of people across Northern Indiana, Southwest Michigan and beyond. Equipping our staff with the most cutting-edge technology – whether it was the $790 electrocardiograph machine in 1957 or the $1.75 million da Vinci® Surgical System in 2007 – has been central to our guiding principle of providing the most advanced medical treatments possible.

Memorial is not only recognized nationally as a leader in providing high quality care, but also as a leader in innovation, offering new approaches to patient satisfaction and customer service that set us apart. "Memorial has always belonged to the community," said Dr. G. Walter Erickson. "Since its beginning, Memorial has provided a sense of security for the people of this region by being able to change with the times to meet the ever growing medical needs of the lives it serves."

To learn more about our history, visit the interactive timeline at Beacon Health System, Memorial's parent.