Ohio Valley Hospital

The Ohio Valley Hospital in Steubenville, Ohio was begun in 1912 with the help of Mr. Dohrman J. Sinclair and a team of people, who started a campaign to raise $100,000 for a municipal hospital. The need for a public hospital in Steubenville was great, and once the money had been raised, it was decided that the former Lacy Hotel would suffice until a proper building could be built. Patients were admitted and treatments began immediately, while also starting the “Training School for Women Nurses”, a 3 year program for women between the ages of 21 and 33. While the hospital itself was thriving, plans for the permanent building were facing difficulties. The first of these problems was in finding an acceptable site, of which there was no shortage to choose from. April 17, 1913, trustees purchased 11 acres of land from Sarah Wells and her sister, for $15,000 and Mr. Sinclair bought an additional 5 acres which were adjacent and donated them to the hospital, in May of 1914. The next problem was in drafting plans for the building. Eventually, Sinclair himself drew a sketch of his idea, and Meyer J. Sturm of Chicago turned this idea into reality. The result was a 4-story administration building with a 3-story wing made of brick, with stone and terracotta trimming, designed in such a way that additional wings could be added easily in the future. Work began in 1914 with Floto Brothers completing the foundation and Guy Johnston handling the rest of construction. Due to money shortages and accidents and other problems, the building was not actually completed and ready to be opened until June 1917. The nursing program was also thriving and in 1943 the school/hospital, now called the Ohio Valley Hospital School of Nursing, was admitted in the United States Cadet Nurse Program. From 1954 to 1969 the School was affiliated with Bethany College for science courses. In 1969, a cooperative relationship was established with Ohio University for the instruction of all non-nursing courses and college credit. From 1974 to1986, the School was in affiliation with the University of Steubenville. The School was affiliated with Jefferson Community College for instruction of all non-nursing courses from 1986 through 2009. Trinity Health System School of Nursing was established in 1996 as a result of an affiliation between Ohio Valley Hospital and St. John Medical Center. Trinity Health System and Trinity Health System School of Nursing are member facilities of the Franciscan Services Corporation, a Catholic organization associated with the Sisters of St. Francis, Sylvania, Ohio