St. Joseph Medical Center: A Catholic tradition of reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence

Several times each year, patients suffering from rheumatic fever come to a Baltimore-area hospital for open heart surgery to repair their damaged hearts. They receive world-class medical care at no cost to them, and they and their traveling companions are given complimentary hospitality until the patient is able to return home. St. Joseph Medical Center is the hospital where the surgery is performed, and it is the Catholic institution that absorbs the cost of such a gift. This is one of countless examples of the uniqueness of St. Joseph's and why its Franciscan, Catholic identity makes this hospital so special.

By Edwin F. O'Brien

January 1, 2012