The year was 1921.
That year, Hamilton was in the depths of an influenza epidemic. Bishop Dowling of the Hamilton Diocese directed the Catholic Women’s League to start a visiting nursing service to assist with the medical and social needs of the community.
The new service would be called the St. Elizabeth’s Visiting Nurses’ Association after Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, the thirteenth century saint venerated by Germans as the saint of the common people because of her efforts to help people right in their own environment, no matter how humble.
Nursing care was a focus, but public health education and charitable work were often part of the service these nurses offered patients.
St. Elizabeth Visiting Nurses’ Association was incorporated in 1958 and became a member of St. Joseph’s Health System in 1996. The name was changed in April of 2005 to St. Joseph’s Home Care (SJHC).
Our services have evolved over the last 95 years to meet the changing needs to our community, but our commitment to delivering compassionate, quality care to people of all creeds, races and economic backgrounds is unwavering. It is this philosophy that is still at the heart of our mission and is the true legacy of our founders.