The History of OSF Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center

The Beginning

1907: Seven Sisters arrived in Pontiac to start St. James Hospital located on East Water Street.

1907: Sister M. Alberta Dall, O.S.F., served as the first administrator.

1908: Bishop O’Reilly blessed and dedicated the new four-story wing.

Early 1900s

1919: A lightning strike caused a fire that destroyed St. James Hospital. The community came together and raised over $33,000 for reconstruction.

1920: The newly reconstructed hospital reopened. It had lightning rods and terrazzo flooring to ward off fires.

1921: Bishop Dunne blessed and dedicated the newly rebuilt St. James Hospital.

1933: The Women’s Auxiliary of the Livingston County Medical Society sponsored the first annual food shower for the hospital’s charity patients and others in need of a meal. The program was so successful, an open house was held so the donations could be viewed by the community.

1936-1937: Between July 1936 and July 1937, the Sisters provided over 1,400 charity meals for the local community.

1940s

1941: After the purchase of new lab equipment, St. James Hospital was approved by the state of Illinois as a pneumonia typing center.

1943: The nursery was expanded and included the addition of incubators and two oxygen tents to treat premature infants.

1950s

Article credit: Pontiac Daily Leader 12-18-1958

1950: Due to overcrowded conditions, one out of every 12 patients had to be treated in a hallway or sunporch.

1950: A St. James Hospital lay advisory board was established.

1951: A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new 45-bed addition.

1953: A special luncheon was held after Bishop Cousins blessed and dedicated the new addition to St. James Hospital.

1954: A new $18,000 automated X-ray machine was installed, providing foolproof X-rays.

1958: An open house was held for the new third and fourth floor addition that housed the obstetrical and surgical departments.

1960s

1965: The main entrance was updated with a new vestibule, information desk, larger sidewalks and heated steps to ward off ice.

1966: St. James Hospital added an inhalation therapy department.

1967: A 60th anniversary celebration and groundbreaking were held for the new $1.4 million hospital addition.

1967: A new IBM teleprocessing machine was installed, giving the hospital direct communication with 10 other hospitals founded by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.

1969: Bishop John B. Franz of Peoria blessed and dedicated the new $1.7 million addition and laid the cornerstone.

1970s

Photo credit: Pontiac Daily Leader 5-14-1973

1970: An intensive care-cardiac unit was established.

1972: St. James Hospital was designated a local trauma center.

1973: The new 9,000-square-foot medical clinic building was completed.

1977: A Flanagan area farmer, John W. Albrecht, left the bulk of his estate to be used for a new hospital in Pontiac.

1980s

1984: A groundbreaking was held for a new $4 million renovation project that included plans for two inmate rooms and an expanded intensive care cardiac unit.

1986: After the $4.5 million remodeling and renovation project was completed, Bishop O’Rourke rededicated the St. James Hospital.

1987: New MRI services were added.

1989: A hospice program began at St. James Hospital.

1990s

1990: A home health care program was established.

1991: A dedication was held for the new 16-bed surgical nursing unit and “Great Beginnings” obstetrics ward.

1991: A 24-hour physician emergency room coverage program began, instead of an on-call system.

1995: The letters “OSF” were added to facility names to create system identity.

1997: Twenty years after the death of John W. Albrecht, 2,800 acres of his land was auctioned off with the $18.5 million going toward the construction of a new hospital.

1999: A groundbreaking was held for the new $34 million OSF Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center located at 2500 W. Reynolds St., Pontiac.

2000s

2002: The new OSF Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center was blessed and dedicated.

2007: OSF Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center celebrated 100 years of service to the Pontiac community with a special Mass with Bishop Jenky, along with a chance to view the preserved 1907 and 1969 cornerstone contents.

2010s

2013: Construction began on a new $3.4 million addition and renovation, with updated equipment for emergency, MRI and laboratory services.

2016: Five new digital imaging systems that limited radiation doses and provided high quality digital images within seconds were purchased, three for the hospital and two for the medical clinic.

2017: OSF Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center took part in the pilot program for the first EMT basics program online training in Illinois.

2018: The Growing Well Garden was established on the grounds of the hospital.

2020s

2024: An accredited paramedic program began.

2025: St. Clare’s Compassion Closet was established.