Saint Mary's began its legacy of caring for the community in 1877, when a few Dominican Sisters made an unplanned stop in Reno on their journey from California to Kentucky.  The Sisters stayed in Reno and built Mount Saint Mary's Academy, to bring education to the children of farmers and miners in the area.  The academy would eventually become Sisters' Hospital as the rapidly growing community was in dire need of quality, caring health care.

In 1908, Sisters' Hospital opened its doors with just two nurses on staff.  Even in those early days of the hospital, the workload was overwhelming, and skilled help was hard to find.  In response, the Sisters established a nurses training school that opened 1910.  This schooling would later transitioned to the University of Nevada, Reno in 1959, through the Orvis School of Nursing.

As the area continued to grow, so did health care demands, so in 1912 a new adjoining facility opened and Sisters' Hospital became Saint Mary's Hospital.  From 1912 to present day, new additions and towers have been built creating Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.  The Center is a state-of-the-art, comprehensive medical and surgical facility able to address the community's ever changing health care needs.

A network of care and services

The Sisters could have never predicted in 1908 that Saint Mary's would grow to be more than just a hospital.  In fact, our network today consists of more than 10 health care facilities throughout the Truckee Meadows.  All of the network, including a highly recognized health plans division and a thriving philanthropic foundation, work to deliver the highest quality care to a region encompassing northern Nevadan and northeastern California.

Today, we look to the future with the foresight of leaders and a firm commitment to quality care for our community.  Saint Mary's has touched millions of lives throughout its nearly 100 years of service.  As we continue to lived the mission began by the Dominican Sisters so many years ago, Saint Mary's is proud to be recognized by our community as the area's most preferred health care provider.