Our Mission Continues to Embrace the Health Care Future

Relationships often begin with a simple invitation. That is exactly how it began not long after the turn of the 20^th 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 Monsignor 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, and it became clear that workers were involved in something much more than a bricks-and-mortar

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. project. They were building the healthcare future for Beech Grove. One year later, St. Francis Hospital – a fully modern medical facility – was opened to the public.

This transition has been under way for more than a year and it will reach its zenith on March 16, when all inpatient services will be in place at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Indianapolis.

Our healthcare ministry continues to be embodied in our Franciscan values: Respect for life, Fidelity to our mission, Compassionate concern, Joyful service and Christian stewardship. These are the cornerstones of our mission. And these are the bedrocks on which our commitment is built on to respond to, shape and build the healthcare future for the people we serve.

Understandably, this is an emotional time for many Beech Grove residents and for our staff, many of whom have called the 1600 Albany Street “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 breaths. 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 place 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 healthcare ministry in Beech Grove, we invite the people of this community to continue to accompany us on that journey for years to come.

Robert J. Brody

President and CEO

Sister Marlene Shapley

Vice President of Mission Services