{{short description|Series of hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} '''Deaconess Hospital''' was the name of several hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Deaconess tradition began in 19th-century Europe when Theodor Fliedner of Kaiserswerth, Germany, established the first Deaconess Home and Hospital in 1836. The word deaconess means “one who is devoted to service”, being the feminine gender of the word deacon.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://deaconess.org/|title=Homepage {{!}} Deaconess Foundation|website=deaconess.org|access-date=2019-06-04}}</ref>
Deaconess Central Hospital was first established in St. Louis on March 18, 1889 by the Evangelical Deaconess Society of St. Louis, which was part of the Evangelical Synod that later merged with other Protestant denominations to form the United Church of Christ.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.stlmag.com/api/content/c5683ff2-2c52-11e8-9446-121bebc5777e/|title=4 lost or forgotten St. Louis landmarks we should remember|last=Naffziger|first=Chris|date=2018-03-21|website=www.stlmag.com|language=en-us|access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref> It was managed by a board, not managed by the church.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Rasche|first=Ruth W.|title=The Deaconess heritage : one hundred years of caring, healing and teaching|publisher=Deaconess Foundation|year=1994|isbn=0964284901|location=St. Louis, Missouri|oclc=32500061}}</ref> On August 18, 1889, the first two deaconess sisters in the United States were consecrated by the Deaconess Society. Deaconess sisters lived in a group home, were paid a small stipend and no salary,<ref name=":3" /> and in later years were subject to short-term or permanent transfers.<ref name=":2" /> They were to remain unmarried.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Donahue|first=Jane|title=The Deaconess Spirit|publisher=Deaconess Foundation in conjunction with Reedy Press|year=2014|location=St. Louis, Missouri}}</ref> They wore uniforms and were addressed as "Sister" followed by their forenames.<ref name=":3" />
==History== The first hospital was located at 2119 Eugenia Street from 1889 to 1893. The second hospital, at 4117 West Belle Place, was open from 1893 to 1930.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Deaconess-Tradition with Vision: A Vision for the Future Grows Out of the Past|date=1988-09-11|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|page=2}}</ref> The third hospital at 6150 Oakland Avenue was a Spanish revival building;<ref name=":0" /> it opened in 1930.<ref name=":2" /> In 1985, the first Saint Louis Crisis Nursery was established when a branch of Deaconess Hospital was bought out.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 6, 2022 |title=Keith Jackson named president of Crisis Nursery board |work=St. Louis American |url=https://www.stlamerican.com/business/people_on_the_move/keith-jackson-named-president-of-crisis-nursery-board/article_3853949e-15bf-11ed-8626-73cbf138b636.html |access-date=October 8, 2023}}</ref>
===1997-2012=== The hospital, by then named Forest Park Hospital, was sold to Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Dallas in 1997. Proceeds from the 1997 sale to Tenet Healthcare Corp. were used to establish the Deaconess Foundation, which grants to children's causes in the St. Louis metropolitan area.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/rev-jerry-w-paul-obituary-founding-president-deaconess-foundation-focused-children|title=The Rev. Jerry W. Paul Obituary: Founding president of Deaconess Foundation focused on children|last=Ross|first=Gloria S.|website=news.stlpublicradio.org|language=en|access-date=2020-04-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/deaconess-foundation-to-build-center-for-child-well-being-near-grand-center/article_a6a9c2fa-265e-5353-a095-7671cb967d8e.html|title=Deaconess Foundation to build Center for Child Well-Being near Grand Center|last=Cambria|first=Nancy|website=STLtoday.com|language=en|access-date=2020-04-04}}</ref> In 2004, Forest Park Hospital was purchased by Argilla Healthcare Inc., which merged with Doctors Community Healthcare Corp. of Scottsdale, Arizona, becoming Envision Hospital Corp. It was acquired by Success Healthcare LLC in 2008.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/history-of-forest-park-and-st-alexius-hospitals/article_c52fbcf8-12f9-566b-9335-7dc2a5330516.html|title=History of Forest Park and St. Alexius hospitals|website=STLtoday.com|language=en|access-date=2020-04-07}}</ref> From 2007 to 2010, reduced state revenue and reduced patient demand saw 75% of its employees laid off. Its emergency room closed in 2011 following years of financial struggle and low use.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/troubled-forest-park-hospital-to-shut-down-er/article_fcb3f91c-0a35-509e-b3eb-bb9e4ff6b001.html|title=Troubled Forest Park Hospital to shut down ER|last=Doyle|first=Jim|date=2011-04-02|website=stltoday.com|language=en|access-date=2019-06-03}}</ref> In 2012, the hospital closed<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2012/10/05/saint-louis-zoo-association-buys.html|title=Saint Louis Zoo closes on Forest Park Hospital purchase|last=Weiderman|first=Greta|date=2012-10-05|website=www.bizjournals.com|access-date=2020-04-04}}</ref> and its property was purchased by the nearby St. Louis Zoo as part of a 20-year expansion project.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stlmag.com/Blogs/SLM-Daily/March-2012/The-Saint-Louis-Zoo-Announces-Purchase-of-Forest-Park-Hospital-Site-and-Plans-for-Development/|title=The Saint Louis Zoo Announces Purchase of Forest Park Hospital Site and Plans for Development|last=Curtis|first=Nancy|date=2012-03-12|website=www.stlmag.com|language=en-us|access-date=2019-06-03}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> The building was demolished in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2014/04/22/demolition-makes-forest-park-hospital-look-even-creepier-photos|title=Demolition Makes Forest Park Hospital Look Even Creepier [Photos]|last=Toler|first=Lindsay|website=Riverfront Times|language=en|access-date=2020-04-04|archive-date=2020-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203074003/https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2014/04/22/demolition-makes-forest-park-hospital-look-even-creepier-photos|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web|url=https://deaconess.org/about-deaconess/history|title=History {{!}} Deaconess Foundation|website=deaconess.org|access-date=2019-06-03|archive-date=2019-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402230415/https://deaconess.org/about-deaconess/history|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Nursing=== The Deaconess school of nursing for lay students was established in 1943,<ref name=":02" /> becoming the College of Nursing in 1983.<ref name=":2" /> It was purchased by Adtalem Global Education, Inc. and became the Chamberlain College of Nursing in 2005. It has subsequently Chamberlain University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chamberlain.edu/about/history|title=125 Year History {{!}} Chamberlain University|website=www.chamberlain.edu|access-date=2019-06-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/deaconess-college-nursing-gets-new-name|title=Deaconess College of Nursing gets new name|last=Weber|first=Tom|website=stlpublicradio.org|language=en|access-date=2019-08-16}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://stlouispatina.com/old-deaconess-hospital/ Photos] of the hospital before demolishment * [https://deaconess.org/about-deaconess/history History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402230415/https://deaconess.org/about-deaconess/history |date=2019-04-02 }} of the Deaconess Foundation
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Category:Hospitals in St. Louis Category:Economy of St. Louis Category:United Church of Christ Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 2014 Category:Demolished buildings and structures in St. Louis