City: Oklahoma City, OK

Category: Health Care

Telephone: (405) 231-8866

Address: 1000 N. Lee Ave.

Description: St. Anthony Hospital was founded by a small order of Franciscan sisters who originally journeyed from Maryville, Missouri, to Oklahoma City in the spring of 1898 to ask for contributions for their local hospital. When they approached Father D. I. Lanslots of St. Joseph’s Church for funds, he agreed to help raise funds, but he asked that the funds be used to open a hospital in Oklahoma City instead. At that time there was no hospital in Oklahoma City or Oklahoma Territory and one was badly needed. Sister Beata Vinson and Sister Clara Schaff returned to Maryville to ask their order to establish a hospital in Oklahoma City. In July 1898, four Sisters of St. Francis returned to Oklahoma City and rented two houses at 219 NW 4th St. One structure served as the Sisters’ residence and the other was used for the hospital. On Aug 1, 1898, St. Anthony’s opened with Mother Augustine’s mandate that no one be turned away. Today, the hospital has 686 beds and in 2008 cared for over 17,000 inpatients. It provides general, acute care services, including cardiology, oncology, neuroscience, behavioral medicine, surgery, kidney transplantation, and a variety of other disciplines. Besides the Hospital, people looking for health care will find Saints Heart & Vascular Institute, St. Anthony Behavioral Medicine Program, Frank C. Love Cancer Institute, Cyberknife, a painless non-invasive radiosurgery that treats non-operable tumors, Surgical Services, St. Anthony Breast Center, and the St. Anthony SCORE program, a comprehensive wellness exam, formerly called the executive physical. St. Anthony’s also offers childbirth classes; an Annual Celebrity Chef event, focusing on heart healthy cooking; the Annual Stroke of Courage, a stroke educational event; and a variety of other timely topics for both professionals and the public.