Divine Savior Healthcare

Description

Mission
Divine Savior Healthcare is deeply committed to a process of continuously improving the quality of care and services provided as an integral part of the Churchs healing ministry to all persons

We believe God is the author of life

That every life holds meaning

That caring for life is our reason for being

That we cannot care for the body without caring for the spirit

That the ends of caring are to foster birth and healing to dignify life and dying

That in serving individuals we serve our community by offering purposeful employment fair wages and a Christian workplace

That we must be ready to change with the changing needs of those we serve
That we care best for others when we care for ourselves

History

Divine Savior History
In 1916 the people of Portage asked the Sisters of the Divine Savior at Columbus Wisconsin to start a hospital The city guaranteed they would donate 10000 towards the construction if the Sisters would match the contribution Former mayor Alois Zienert donated land located on Prospect Hill Construction began in October 1916 and the hospital was dedicated on May 17 1917 as St Saviors Hospital For the next 82 years Divine Savior committed itself to providing quality health care for Portage and the surrounding communities

The original twostory 20bed facility serviced Baraboo and Beaver Dam neither had their own hospital at the time and a 50mile radius surrounding Portage Five physicians six Sisters trained as nurses and a resident chaplain staffed the hospital Although established as a Catholic hospital all creeds have always been welcomed

The Sisters at Divine Savior not only cared for the patients but also made their own sutures grew fruits and vegetables and canned them for winter use Patient needs were foremost on the minds of the Sisters and with resources allotted to the patients often the Sisters diets approached quotfasting levelquot However this never stopped their mission of caring for the people of the Portage area

Although built as one of the States most fullyequipped hospitals according to newspaper clippings from the time a new addition was built in 1921 to meet the demand At that time the East wing was added

In 1922 Mr amp Mrs Alois Zienert passed away and donated their home for long term care The Sisters began caring for ten residents in the home on the corner of Armstrong and Pleasant Streets

In 1923 a new chapel was added to the hospital and in 1928 another addition commenced

In 1930 only 13 years after the hospital opened its doors the staff had nearly doubled and a chief of staff was elected In 1939 the staff consisted of more than 25 physicians with staff privileges Due to its size and continual growth the hospital applied to the American College of Surgeons ACS for certification Probationary approval status was granted

In 1950 the ACS began their final inspection of St Saviors Hospital and in 1953 final and full accreditation was granted

In the early 1950s the name changed from St Saviors to Divine Savior Hospital and Nursing Home In 1954 another addition was begun adding a new surgery room and a separate recovery room staffed full time by nurses and a registered anesthetist

In 1966 as demand for a home for the aging grew Divine Savior replaced the old Zienert mansion with a new nursing home The new home held more than 100 resident beds

In 1967 the first lay administrator was appointed The Sisters of the Divine Savior became the sponsors of the hospital the Sisters and the staff at Divine Savior promised each other to maintain five core values

promote justice improve the quality of life make appropriate decisions to include the poor collaboration and responsible stewardship Staff and administration at Divine Savior still hold these values true to their heart

In the 1980s another addition was constructed providing new facilities for the Emergency Radiology Outpatient and Laboratory departments

In the 1990s two Divine Savior clinics were added to the Divine Savior family one in Pardeeville and one in Portage The opening of these clinics ushered in a new era for Divine Savior Divine Savior employed physicians

Wanting to ensure that its name encompassed the wide range of services Divine Savior offered Divine Savior Hospital and Nursing Home changed its name to Divine Savior Healthcare in 1999

January 10 2000 Divine Savior Healthcare opened the doors of its Medical Center on the north side of Portage The Medical Center houses Home Care Community Health Education Rehab Services Occupational Health Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Family Practice Internal Medicine Diagnostics and Orthopedic Surgery

On May 16 2002 ground was broken on a new hospital adjacent to the Medical Center This hospital will provide all the amenities of a stateoftheart hospital in a comforting convenient location

October 11 2003 Divine Savior opened its doors to our new stateoftheart facility continuing our dedication to the wellbeing of the residents of Portage and the surrounding communities Because you deserve the best healthcare possible