St. Joseph Hospital, 1858 Our first home (above) was the first permanent hospital in the Northwest Territories. With nearly 150 years of continuous service, Southwest has the distinction of being the oldest surviving hospital west of the Rocky Mountains.

Southwest Washington Medical Center has a proud heritage. Originally called St. Joseph Hospital, it is the first hospital in the Pacific Northwest, established in1858 by then Sister Joseph of the Sacred Heart.  In 1967, the Sisters of Providence officially transferred the institution to the St.  Joseph Community Hospital Association.

Clark General Hospital opened in September, 1929. Trustees changed its name to Vancouver Memorial Hospital in 1945 to honor veterans.

In 1977, St. Joseph and Vancouver Memorial Hospitals merged, forming Southwest Washington Hospitals. In 1989, the name was changed to Southwest Washington Medical Center to reflect a major expansion in services .

Watch a short video about our history.