For the last 100 years, Houston Methodist’s legacy of medical innovation has attracted patients from around the world. What began in 1919 as The Methodist Hospital, a small 30-bed hospital near downtown Houston, is now a leading academic medical system in the Texas Medical Center and throughout the Greater Houston area.

 

The Methodist Hospital started as a small hospital on Rosalie Street purchased to help the community through the Spanish flu epidemic. Today, it is a system with eight hospitals, more than 2,000 beds, 6,700 affiliated physicians and 24,000 employees.

 

Leaders who made Houston Methodist what it is today include Dr. Oscar Norsworthy who founded the hospital and then later sold it to the United Methodist Church; Josie Roberts, who saved the hospital during the Great Depression and was instrumental in moving it to the TMC in 1951 and expanding it to 300 beds; Ella Fondren who served on the board for more than 30 years and whose family has been on the board for the past 100 years; John F. Bookout, a former chairman of the Board of Directors, who guided Houston Methodist through its transition into a leading academic medical center; and Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, the late heart care legend, who moved from Rosalie into the new TMC location and quickly transformed heart care around the world.

 

“I cannot overstate what an incredible milestone this is for all of us,” said Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist. “It is a testament to the leaders, physicians, researchers, nurses and employees who have come before us. We were founded to serve the community and that remains our mission today. Houston Methodist is recognized nationally for unparalleled safety, quality, service and innovation, and I know the next 100 years will bring the same commitment to our patients and to our community.”

 

Houston Methodist is celebrating its first century with a series of commemorations throughout 2019. A video documentary and book chronicling the hospital system’s first 100 years will be released, and a special digital interactive wall, commemorating the hospital’s history and those who shaped it, is being installed in the new Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower. Supporting the wall are more than 6,000 pages of photos and documents that have been collected from local and national sources. Graphics are displayed across 24 screens, totaling 58 feet.

 

The year-long celebration includes a $500 million fundraising campaign and the Rendezvous of the Century Gala Nov. 14 at Minute Maid Park chaired by Ann and John Bookout and honorary chairs the family of President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush.

 

“Houston Methodist holds a special place in our city’s history, and it holds a very special place in my heart,” said Houston Methodist Board of Directors Chair Greg Nelson. “We were founded as a faith-based hospital with a mission to treat every patient as a person of sacred worth and value. This belief has guided us as we’ve served the community for 100 years and will keep guiding us into the future.”

 

For a complete list of events and media opportunities and a historical look at how Houston Methodist has led medicine for 100 years, please visit https://centennial.houstonmethodist.org.