about us

our mission & history

We call ourselves a health system, and health is exactly what we focus on. We believe that being healthy means more than just not being sick. It means optimizing your health so you can live your life to the fullest. Whether we heal a condition, help you make smarter food choices, inspire you to get moving, or simply offer a word of support, we believe true wellness is about feeling good — body and spirit.

With innovative technology, we heal the body. With faith, we mend the spirit. We draw from a past that's rich in the healing tradition, while strengthening the future through the guidance and support of the Ministry of Bon Secours and the Bon Secours Health System, Inc.



 Employees                                             2132
 Employees  (5+ Years)                         880
 Hospital Beds                                       319
 Volunteers                                            185
 Surgeries (Annually)                           6500 Inpatient  /  10,500 Outpatient
 Patients Served (Annually)               17,000 Inpatient    /  106,000 Outpatient
 Births (Annually)                               2100
 Free Care and Service (Annually)    $25 million


Our History

St. Francis was founded in 1932, and is a private, not-for-profit health system. Our facilities include: ST. FRANCIS downtown, ST. FRANCIS eastside, St. Francis Institute for Chronic Health, St. Francis Outpatient Center and Upstate Surgery Center. St. Francis is surveyed by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to evaluate the organization’s compliance with nationally established Joint Commission standards.

1920s - 1950s

  • 1921  |  Emma Booth Memorial Hospital built and entrusted to the Salvation Army.
  • 1931  |  Dr. Charles Wyatt asks the Catholic Church to manage the hospital.
  • 1932  |  The Franciscan Sisters of the Poor acquire the hospital for $55,000. 6,000 people attended the dedication on July 14.  First patient admitted July 18.
  • 1956  |  St. Francis is the first hospital in Greenville to have an ambulance. Received first accreditation by Joint Commission.

1960s - 1970s

  • 1964  |  Sister Bernadine Kirchhoff came to Greenville with plans for a new hospital.
  • 1968  |  Groundbreaking for the new St. Francis Hospital.
  • 1971  |  New St. Francis Hospital opens December 3. It was one of the first all-private room hospitals in the Southeast.

1980s - 1990s

  • 1983  |  Franciscan Sisters of the Poor Health System is incorporated.
  • 1984  |  $30 million expansion program adds a cardiac cath lab, CT scanner, and 72 new private rooms.
  • 1990  |  St. Francis Women’s Hospital opens.
  • 1991  |  St. Francis HomeCare is established.
  • 1992  |  Cancer Care Center opens in December.
  • 1995  |  Sister Marilyn Trowbridge, RN, founds SC’s first Parish Nurse Program and Volunteer Parish Nurse Partnership at St. Francis
  • 1997  |  St. Francis Women’s Hospital expands and is renamed St. Francis Women’s & Family Hospital.
  • 1998  |  First open heart surgery performed at St. Francis Hospital.
  • 1999  |  William L. Carpenter Heart Center opened in May.

 2000  -  2004

  • 2000  |  In January, St. Francis Health System transferred sponsorship from the Franciscan Health Partnership, Inc. to Bon Secours Health System, Inc.
  • 2000  |  Bone Marrow Transplant Unit opened.
  • 2000  |  Sister Dorothy Brogan, CBS begins her mission at St. Francis HomeCare.
  • 2001  |  Bone Marrow Transplant Program receives Level II FACT Accreditation.
  • 2001  |  Team Health began providing Hospitalists and Emergency Room Physicians.
  • 2002  |  St. Francis Outpatient Center opens.
  • 2002  |  Performed first lap band surgery in South Carolina.
  • 2003  |  CON approved for the addition of 51 beds at St. Francis Hospital, and transfer of 31 beds to St. Francis Women’s & Family Hospital, resulting in 226 acute care beds, 32 hospital based nursing home beds, and 19 rehabilitation beds at St. Francis Hospital and 93 acute care beds at St. Francis Women’s & Family Hospital.
  • 2003  |  Replacement of existing mobile MRI services with a fixed MRI Unit at St. Francis Women's & Family Hospital.
  • 2004  |  HealthGrades recognizes St. Francis Orthopedics as #1 in SC and in top 5% in the nation.
  • 2004  |  St. Francis receives 24 National PRC patient satisfaction awards, including a record of 10 "Top Performer" awards.
  • 2004  |  Successfully launched Columbia/Presbyterian affiliation with two new CV Surgeons.
  • 2004  |  St. Francis Physician Services subsidiary created for employment/affiliation of physicians, representing four subspecialties: OB/GYN, CV, Pulmonary and General Surgery.

 2005  -  2009

  • 2005  |  HealthGrades recognizes St. Francis Orthopedics as #1 in SC and in top 5% in the nation for the 2nd year in a row.
  • 2005  |  Cardiovascular Surgery earns #1 in Upstate by HealthGrades.
  • 2005  |  St. Francis Hospice named "Hospice of Record" for first residential hospice in Greenville County.
  • 2005  |  Cancer Care Center rededicated.
  • 2005  |  St. Francis is first in Upstate with Digital Mammography.
  • 2006  |  HealthGrades recognizes St. Francis Orthopedics as #1 in SC and in top 5% in the nation for the 3rd year in a row.
  • 2006  |  St. Francis Women’s & Family Hospital receives 2006 Premier Award for Quality.
  • 2006  |  AARP awards St. Francis as one of the Best Employers For Workers Over 50.
  • 2006  |  First CT 64-Slice in the Upstate of SC in operation.
  • 2006  |  Breast Health Navigator and Cancer Risk Screening Program introduced.
  • 2007  |  St. Francis campuses receive new names:ST. FRANCIS downtown and ST. FRANCIS eastside.
  • 2007  |  HealthGrades recognizes St. Francis Orthopedics as #1 in SC and in top 5% in the nation for the 4th year in a row.
  • 2007  |  ST. FRANCIS eastside and ST. FRANCIS downtown both earn 2007 Premier Awards for Quality in Cardiac Services.
  • 2007  |  St. Francis opens Southeast’s first Geriatric Fracture Center.
  • 2007  |  New 8-bed, state-of-art Cardiac Care Unit opens.
  • 2008  |  St. Francis receives SC Governor's Award for Quality, the highest award given for overall organizational quality achievements.
  • 2008  |  HealthGrades recognizes St. Francis Orthopedics as #1 in SC and in top 5% in the nation for the 5th year in a row.
  • 2008  |  St. Francis Orthopedics receives HealthGrades' Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award.
  • 2008  |  St. Francis Heart Care receives HealthGrades' Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award and a 5-star rating for Heart Surgery.
  • 2008  |  The American Heart Association names St. Francis a "Fit Friendly Company."
  • 2008  |  Proposal submitted for new facility: ST. FRANCIS millennium.
  • 2008  |  St. Francis is first Bon Secours Health System facility to launch ConnectCare, a new electronic patient medical records system.
  • 2008  |  St. Francis launches DaVinci MiniSurgery, the first robotic surgery in Greenville County.
  • 2008  |  3D Cardiac Ultrasound introduced for St. Francis Heart Care.
  • 2009  |  Received Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ from HealthGrades® for the 2nd year in a row
  • 2009  |  St. Francis Breast Health Center is accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) from the American College of Surgeons
  • 2009  |  Cancer Care at St. Francis is accredited by the Commission on Cancer from the American College of Surgeons, and recently received the highest possible approval rating of “3 Year with Commendation."
  • 2009  |  Ranked #1 in SC for Overall Orthopedic Care for the 5th year in a row by HealthGrades®
  • 2009  |  Named a state-wide leader in patient satisfaction from HCAHPS
  • 2009  |  Ranked higher than 97% by physicians in the categories “Overall Quality of Care” and “Place to Practice Medicine”Quality Care
  • 2009  |  Designated an “Institute for Quality Cardiac Care” by Aetna
  • 2009  |  Named a “Top 100 Integrated Health System” by SDI
  • 2009  |  Selected “National Top Performer” for healthcare quality improvement and cost reduction by QUEST/Premier Healthcare Inc.
  • 2009  |  Adopted and implemented a new electronic medical records system, ConnectCare®
  • 2009  |  Unveiled the St. Francis Institute for Chronic Health at ST. FRANCIS millennium
  • 2009  |  Added a fourth Cardiac Catheterization Lab to ST. FRANCIS downtown
  • 2009  |  Launched the Surgical Weight Loss Program and the Signature Surgery Experience for Women at ST. FRANCIS eastside
  • 2009  |  Opened the St. Francis Community Garden in April
  • 2009  |  Began Bon Secours’ “Healthy Communities” Initiative in Sterling Community with the creation of the Sterling Phoenix League
  • 2009  |  Good Help for a Better Planet, our system-wide green initiative, sparks employee commitment to reduce the use of Styrofoam
  • 2009 | The only hospital in the Carolinas named 2009 Leapfrog Top Hospital: recognized for being leaps ahead in quality, safety and affordability.

quick links

Bon Secours International| Sisters of Bon Secours USA| Bon Secours Health System