History

Marian Regional Medical Hospital has served the Central Coast for more than 80 years. That history began in 1940 when, in response to a call for health care services in the community of Santa Maria, the Sisters of St. Francis founded Our Lady of Perpetual Help Hospital also known as Sisters’ Hospital. 

  • 1940: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Hospital opened. 
  • 1957: The hospital added a Radiology Department 
  • 1965: the Sisters of St. Francis broke ground on a new 125-bed hospital facility on land donated by Captain and Mrs. Allan Hancock, generous Santa Maria benefactors.
  • 1967: Marian Hospital opened. 
  • 1974: Marian opened the Intensive Care Unit for heart patients. 
  • 1979: Marian established a Cardiac Rehabilitation program. 
  • 1985: Marian opened the first Kidney Dialysis Center on the Central Coast. 
  • 1987: Marian Hospital became Marian Medical Center. Marian Extended Care Center and Marian Children’s Center opened. 
  • 1990: Marian Medical Center celebrated its 50th anniversary. 
  • 1996: The Marian Heart Center and the west wing of the Medical Center opened. 
  • 1997: The hospital opened the Oncology Program, Marian Cancer Center, and Marian Community Clinics opened. Marian Medical Center became part of Catholic Healthcare West. 
  • 2002: Marian Medical Center opened the cardiac catheterization lab and Marian West. 
  • 2007: Marian Plaza Diagnostic Imaging opened. 
  • 2010: Marian opened Santa Maria’s first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the hospital’s Breast Care Program.  
  • 2012: Catholic Healthcare West became Dignity Health. We became Marian Regional Medical Center when the “new hospital” opened which increased the total beds to 191. Mission Hope Cancer Center opened. 
  • 2019: Dignity Health, including Marian Regional Medical Center, Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and French Hospital Medical Center, came together with Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) to create CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems, focused on improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, and advancing social justice for all.
  • 2020: Marian Regional Medical Center celebrates 80 Years of serving the community. 
  • 2022: Marian Regional Medical Center received Level II Trauma Center certification, opened the Medical Safe Haven program at The Family Medicine Center, and graduated inaugural OB-GYN Residency Program physicians.