Page 3 - Summer-2015

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

HONORING OUR PAST, CELEBRATING OUR FUTURE

This year, Marian Regional Medical Center celebrates its 75-year legacy of health and healing.
To commemorate this milestone anniversary, we are proud to share Marian’s historic journey
from its humble beginnings as a rural community hospital to its present day standing as a
regional, teaching medical center that ranks among the finest hospitals.

Marian’s founders, the Sisters of St. Francis, were called to Santa Maria to build, open, and
staff a hospital urgently needed by a growing community. Hailed as pillars of the community,
the Sisters were widely respected by all and the hospital became fondly referred to as “Sisters’
Hospital” by community members.

When Marian opened its doors three-quarters of a century ago, the population of the entire city of Santa Maria was
8,000. Now in 2015, Marian is a regional medical center that serves both Santa Maria and the entire Central Coast, a
population of nearly 250,000.

Although the advancement of medical technologies continue to redefine how medicine is delivered at Marian, our
commitment to provide our community with exceptional care has remained and has never wavered. Since Marian’s
inception, we have been guided by the Sisters’ visionary leadership to deliver high quality compassionate care. Today
we are still fulfilling that commitment as evidenced by the development of specialty and sub-specialty clinical
services, publicly reported patient care outcomes, and our notable clinical affiliations with Stanford, UCLA, and USC
which provide access to tertiary services in our own community.

As a result of your continued support, Marian is proud to be a top ranked hospital, earning notable accolades for
quality, safety, and service. Recently, Marian was named one of Healthgrades Best 100 Hospitals for Critical Care,
received Healthgrades 2015 Distinguished Hospital Award for clinical excellence, and earned an “A” rating from the
Leapfrog Group for patient safety. Marian was also the recent recipient of the Women’s Choice Award for America’s
best cancer care hospitals and the Greenhealth Partner for Change award for implementing, improving, and
expanding a significant number of environmental programs.

Throughout Marian’s legacy, philanthropy has remained essential to the medical center’s growth and development.
Your meaningful philanthropic gifts drive the medical center’s healing work, and ultimately fuel Marian’s enduring
evolution from a community hospital to a regional medical center. Marian is forever grateful to our countless and loyal
supporters; with you, Marian has been able to successfully achieve this milestone anniversary.

In gratitude,

Charles J. Cova
President & Chief Executive Officer
Marian Regional Medical Center

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Hospital

1940 The Sisters of St. Francis of 1940 Archbishop
Penance and Christian Charity come to Cantwell at Our Lady of
Santa Maria to manage and staff a hospital Perpetual Help Hospital
urgently needed by a growing community dedication ceremony.
of 8,000 people. Fondly referred to as
Sisters’ Hospital, Our Lady of Perpetual
Help Hospital opens on May 20, 1940. 3 3