Our History

Lourdes and Catholic Healthcare Partners

Riverside Hospital was founded by the municipality in 1905. The Diocese of Owensboro purchased the hospital in 1959 and in September of that year the Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin, Ohio arrived to manage the facility. With the change in ownership came a new name: Lourdes in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Sisters assumed sponsorship in 1963. In 1982, sponsorship was returned to the Diocese. In 1973, Lourdes moved from the downtown location to the beautiful new building on Lone Oak Road. Lourdes enter into a management contract with Mercy Health System in 1989, and in 1991, the Sisters of Mercy became sponsors. The Sisters of Mercy joined other systems to form Catholic Healthcare Partners in 1997.

Catholic Healthcare Partners (CHP) is one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in the nation. In the late 1960's, the visionary Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of Cincinnati created a central development office for their diverse health facilities. The concept, the first of its kind for the Sisters of Mercy in the United States, created efficiencies and savings and has evolved into the corporate structure that is now Catholic Healthcare Partners.

The system consists of more than 100 corporations serving the health needs of people in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and contiguous states. Lourdes is a member of Mercy Health Partners (CHP's Kentucky region).

These corporations are organized into eight regions that oversee integrated health systems, acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, housing sites for the elderly, home health agencies, hospice programs, outreach services, medical groups, and wellness centers. The system includes 24,000 employees and 5,900 affiliated physicians.

Five Catholic organizations co-sponsor Catholic Healthcare Partners: the Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of Cincinnati, the Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of Dallas (PA), the Sisters of Humility of Mary, the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, and Covenant Health Systems.

The system was founded in the Judeo-Christian spirit to continue the healing ministry of Jesus. The diversity of CHP's partners enhances the system's creativity as the partners unite in finding new ways to express Christ's healing presence.

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