40 Years
Looking Back, Moving Forward
There aren’t many hospitals in the United States whose history began in quite the same way as Eisenhower Medical Center. At the hospital’s dedication in 1971, a cadre of dignitaries, including President Richard M. Nixon and former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower celebrated what would become the Valley’s only not-for-profit hospital.
In December 1971, Eisenhower Medical Center welcomed its first patient with a hospital staff of just 225 employees and 20 physicians.
During the past 40 years, Eisenhower Medical Center has continued to achieve the highest standards in patient care excellence and has experienced tremendous growth. Increasing in size from a one-building hospital to a major health system, Eisenhower Medical Center now includes clinics throughout the Valley and will soon boast a residency program for primary care physicians.
Ambassador and Leonore Annenberg, whose generosity was unparalleled, left an indelible mark on Eisenhower Medical Center. Dedicated in 1981, the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences at Eisenhower is now the headquarters of Eisenhower’s new School of Graduate Medical Education. In 2007, the Annenberg’s generous $100 million donation helped complete what would become the most seismically sound, state-of-the-art inpatient pavilion in California — the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Pavilion, which opened in 2010.
Other living monuments include the Uihlein Building, Eisenhower Lucy Curci Cancer Center, Arnold Palmer Prostate Center, Renker Pavilion, Tennity Emergency Department, the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center and the Betty Ford Center. Throughout Eisenhower’s extraordinary transformation, the organization’s commitment to its community — the community that has so generously supported Eisenhower for 40 years — has remained steadfast, expanding to meet the needs of the Valley.
The following photos provide an historical glimpse into the storied journey of Eisenhower Medical Center.
