St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii traces its roots back to 1883 with the arrival of blessed Marianne Cope and six Sisters to minister to patients with Hansens Disease. Over the years, the Sisters extended their healing ministry through the Hawaiian Island with the establishment of community hospitals and outreach programs. The Sisters are most known for founding St. Francis Hospital, which opened in 1927 to care for the poor and needy. St. Francis became a leader in health care services, pioneering programs including home care, kidney dialysis, hospice, organ transplantation, and cancer rehabilitation. In 1990, St. Francis Medical Center-West was opened to serve patients in the growing West Oahu communities. Under St. Francis leadership, the renal dialysis program grew to serve more than 1,000 local patients and tourists, with 11 outpatient centers on five islands. The renal program was sold to Liberty Dialysis-Hawaii, LLC in January 2006. The transfer of the two medical centers to Hawaii Medical Center, LLC was completed in January 2007. Following divestiture of the two medical centers, St. Francis Healthcare System now consists of the following entities: St. Francis Healthcare Foundation of Hawaii, St. Francis Community Health Services, St. Francis Healthcare Enterprises, Inc., St. Francis Residential Care Community, and Our Lady of Keaau. The Systems focus has shifted from acute care to meeting the growing needs of Hawaiis senior population through existing and emerging programs such as home care, hospice, personal care services, adult day services, and stay healthy at home. More than a century ago, Mother Marianne Cope and six Sisters of the Third Franciscan Order of Syracuse, New York, arrived in the islands in response to an urgent plea for their assistance in caring for the victims of Hansens Disease. Mother Marianne and the Sisters began their service at the Branch Leper Hospital in Honolulu and five years later began serving in the Leper Settlement at Kalaupapa on Molokai. Since that time, the Sisters mission as advocates for the poor and disadvantaged continues through the work of St. Francis Healthcare System and its staff, fulfilling their historic role as visionaries and risk-takers.

Website: http://www.stfrancishawaii.org/sfhs/