Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center Celebrates 150 Years Of Care And Innovation (Photo) - 10/08/25

Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center Celebrates 150 Years of Care and Innovation

Founded in 1875, Legacy Good Samaritan celebrates a century and a half of healing, innovation, and community service.

Portland, Ore. (October 8, 2025) - On October 9, Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center will celebrate its 150^th anniversary with a commemorative time capsule and a special event honoring the history and future. Founded in 1875 with 50 beds and five staff, Good Samaritan currently employs over 2,000 staff, including 700 nurses and has 220 beds, serving thousands of patients each year. The event will also include a mayoral proclamation highlighting the hospital’s role in healthcare.

“We are pleased the City of Portland has proclaimed October 9, 2025, as a day to recognize our hospital for the evolution of care that has taken place over the years. What started as an act of faith has blossomed into a legacy of excellence and a commitment to serve generations to come,” said Legacy Good Samaritan President Kevin O’Boyle.

Since its founding by Episcopal Bishop Benjamin Wistar Morris, Good Samaritan has achieved many innovative firsts in medicine impacting lives of patients in the region and beyond:

• 1887 - Opened the first medical school in the region, which later became Oregon Health & Sciences University.
• 1921 - Opened Wilcox, Oregon’s first maternity hospital.
• 1965 - Launched Oregon’s first dialysis department.
• 1991 - Established the first bloodless surgery program in the United States.

Legacy Good Samaritan has grown to become a hospital known for specialty programs and clinical excellence featuring nationally ranked programs and services like the Legacy Cancer Institute, Legacy Devers Eye Institute, Legacy Transplant Services, Legacy Weight and Diabetes Institute and the Legacy Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon.

“Generations of healthcare workers contributed to Good Samaritan’s success, and we recognize our current dedicated and hardworking Good Samaritan family who will carry that legacy forward,” said O’Boyle. “Finally, we extend our appreciation to the people of this community for placing their trust in us for their healthcare needs. Their support inspired us to innovate and expand our programs to provide enhanced services.”

Resources:

Link: YouTube Good Sam 150th Anniversary: An enduring legacy of care

https://www.legacyhealth.org/campaign-pages/gs-anniversary

[Photos courtesy of Legacy Good Samaritan: Legacy Good Samaritan, Kevin O’Boyle President of Legacy Good Samaritan]

About Legacy Health
Legacy Health is a local, nonprofit health system driven by our mission to improve the health of those around us. We offer a unique blend of health services – from wellness and urgent care to dedicated children’s care and advanced medical centers – to care for patients of all ages when and where they need us across the Portland/Vancouver metro area and mid-Willamette Valley. For more information, visit www.legacyhealth.org.