UPMC Passavant Celebrates 50 Years in the North Hills
By: Carly Manino
UPMC Passavant is marking a very special anniversary today. The hospital opened its doors fifty years ago on Feb. 24, 1964, following the community-driven “Bring It North” campaign that supported the relocation of Passavant Hospital, originally called the Pittsburgh Infirmary, from the Hill District section of Pittsburgh to the North Hills in McCandless.
According to Pat Kutcher, member of the Passavant Hospital Auxiliary, Hospital Board of Trustees, and the Hospital Foundation Board, “Bring It North” was established by North Hills’ community members and included door-to-door fundraising and a petition campaign. “We needed a hospital in the North Hills,” Kutcher said. “The support shown by the residents of the North Hills at the time was immense.” Fifty years later, UPMC Passavant has grown to become an advanced tertiary care center that provides patients of the North Hills and surrounding communities access to highly specialized medical and surgical treatments by expertly trained physicians at two campuses in McCandless and Cranberry. “As a result of community efforts and generosity decades ago, UPMC Passavant today offers our patients high-quality care supported by the resources of an academic medical center,” said David Martin, UPMC Passavant president. “At UPMC Passavant, we are as committed as we were at our founding to providing our patients and their families with excellent patient care today and for the next 50 years.” As it has since the hospital was established in the North Hills, the community continues to support UPMC Passavant, today through the Passavant Hospital Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing health and wellness through education, outreach and grant making. A valuable component of the foundation is the Passavant Hospital Auxiliary, a group of volunteers that is dedicated to the support of UPMC Passavant and that includes members who have served Passavant since its founding. Over the years, the foundation and auxiliary have provided more than $122 million for hospital projects, a number of which were completed in recent years. Through the foundation’s outreach programs, members of the community have been provided with opportunities to embrace healthier lifestyles. “Passavant Hospital Foundation is a visible extension of Passavant’s legacy as the region’s leading provider of health care,” said Fay Morgan, president and CEO, Passavant Hospital Foundation. “We are confident that members of the North Hills community will continue to support UPMC Passavant as they have for 50 years, so that the hospital can best advance care and serve the community.”
