ABOUT US
Celebrating 120 Years As Your Community Hospital
Our Mission
Rooted in the loving, healing ministry of Jesus and inspired by the legacy of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, we serve all with compassion and excellence.
History Timeline
1900
The Vision Comes to Life
Near the turn of the century, Monsignor William A. Browne, pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, saw the need for a hospital to serve the growing industrial city of Amsterdam. He bought a local mansion and asked the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet for help. Five sisters arrived in response.
1903
St. Mary’s Hospital Opens in Amsterdam
Under the guidance of the Sisters of St. Joseph, with 11 employees and 27 beds, St. Mary’s Hospital opened its doors to all people, making a special effort to treat the poor and vulnerable.
1921
Nursing School Opens
An integral part of the hospital’s development, the school educated more than 1,100 nurses before it closed in 1987.
1925
First Hospital Expansion
The hospital’s new wing opened 80 more beds to the community at a groundbreaking hosted by Monsignor Browne, Mother Thomas, Mother John Joseph, and architect John P. Turner.
1980
The New Hospital Opens
Following its groundbreaking in 1978, the new building quickly rose to four stories, offering a modern healthcare setting to the city of Amsterdam and the Mohawk Valley.
1993
New Addition Opens
Since the early 1990s, St. Mary’s has witnessed rapid evolution through mergers, construction, and renovation, with each step delivering greater opportunities for evolving excellence in patient care.
2002
St. Mary’s Hospital Joins Ascension Health
Along with all hospitals founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph in the United States, St. Mary’s became one of 80 facilities comprising Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic healthcare system.
2009
St. Mary’s Merges with Amsterdam Memorial Healthcare
Two great traditions merged onto a single path, creating St. Mary’s Healthcare, a Catholic ministry dedicated to serving all people through a full continuum of health services.
2015
The Rao Outpatient Pavilion Opens
The 40,000-square-foot facility was developed to expand the space available for St. Mary’s to provide a wide variety of outpatient care from the convenience of the Memorial Campus.
2021
St. Mary’s Re-establishes Its Independent Healthcare Ministry
Determined to serve its community in the best way possible, St. Mary’s left the Ascension Health network, returning to its local roots in preparation for future growth and evolution.
2021
The Rao Expands
Continuing to improve access to care, St. Mary’s centralized three health centers in the expanded Rao Outpatient Pavilion. This “medical village” centers multiple services in one location for patient convenience.
2023
New Leadership for a New Era
St. Mary’s names a new CEO and shortly thereafter announces a partnership with Amsterdam Family Practice, signaling a new era of growth in community partnerships and patient care.
August 2023
St. Mary’s Healthcare Practices Earn Quality Designation as Patient Centered Medical Homes
Five St. Mary’s Healthcare primary care practices have once again been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as New York State Patient-Centered Medical Homes. NYS PCMH certification, which acknowledges a commitment to patient-centered care and continuous quality improvement
January 2024
St. Mary’s Healthcare Earns Distinction for High Quality Maternity Care
St. Mary’s Healthcare has once again been named a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. The Distinction Center designation is awarded to organizations that demonstrate their commitment to best practices and rigorous national standards for high-quality, effective maternity care.
July 2024
St. Mary’s Healthcare Adds Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine Services
Patients who have chronic respiratory and sleep-related conditions will have access to the care they need, close to home, from St. Mary’s Healthcare Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine. The new practice brings much-needed lung health and critical care expertise to Montgomery, Fulton and surrounding counties to treat patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea and other respiratory-related conditions.
January 2025
St. Mary’s Healthcare and Nathan Littauer Hospital Partner to Ensure Local Access to Orthopedic Care
Three long-standing, independent regional providers—St. Mary’s Healthcare, Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home, and Mohawk Valley Orthopedics— joined forces to ensure that orthopedic care is available where residents need it most: close to home. The two hospitals launched Fulton-Montgomery Medical, a professional corporation that enables them to partner to attract and retain much-needed providers and medical practices.
January 2025
Neena Rao Family Health Center Joins St. Mary’s
Dr. Govind Rao, one of the region’s most beloved, respected physicians, partnered with St. Mary’s Healthcare to ensure continued access to exceptional care for patients at the region’s largest pediatric practice.
April 2025
St. Mary’s Healthcare Named 2025 Top Workplace
St. Mary’s Healthcare has been named a 2025 Times Union Top Workplace—the first acute care hospital in the Capital Region to earn the distinction since the Times Union launched the recognition program 14 years ago.
April 2025
President & CEO, Jeff Methven, honored with “Top Workplace” leadership Award
Methven was honored with the Top Workplaces 2025 Leadership Award for large employers. He is the first president and CEO of a Capital Region acute care hospital to earn this distinction in the 14 years since the Times Union launched the Top Workplace recognition program.
May 2025
St. Mary’s opens Charlton Family Health and Specialty Center
With the opening of Charlton Family Health and Specialty Center, St. Mary’s Healthcare brings primary care, laboratory and other specialty services to a new, convenient location.
May 2025
St. Mary’s Healthcare receives $3.2 million grant
St. Mary’s Healthcare will receive a $3.2 million “Nursing Initiative” grant under a new Mother Cabrini Health Foundation program that will invest $51 million to support nursing excellence and innovation, improve work culture, and enhance patient care in New York hospitals that serve high-need patients.
April 2026
St. Mary’s Healthcare Recognized as Top Workplace – Again
St. Mary’s Healthcare has earned a place among the Capital Region’s “Top Workplaces” for the second year in a row. St. Mary’s is the only acute care hospital in the Capital Region to make the list in the 15 years the Times Union has been recognizing the region’s top employers.
Our Core Values
Care for poor and vulnerable persons
Special attention to persons living in poverty.
Reverence
Holistic and gentle care that respects the sacredness of every individual
Joyful Service
Inspired service by a floursishing community of associates
Integrity
Advocacy
Creativity
Leading with vision and courageous innovation
