A Legacy of Care: Dominican Hospital’s 85th Anniversary

Caring for a community means being there through moments both ordinary and life-changing. It means helping a neighbor stay well, welcoming a new baby, responding in an emergency and supporting a family through recovery. It also means listening, learning and growing alongside the people who call that community home.

In September 2026, Dominican Hospital marks 85 years of serving Santa Cruz County - a milestone that reflects not only the history we share with this community, but also the experience that helps us prepare for what comes next. That enduring relationship continues to shape how we care for our neighbors today.

A Legacy that Began with a Local Need

Dominican Hospital's story began in 1941, when four Adrian Dominican Sisters from Michigan responded to a request to help meet a local need for healthcare in Santa Cruz. The Sisters assumed responsibility for the 18-bed Hanley Hospital on West Cliff Drive, which later became known as Sisters Hospital.

As Santa Cruz grew, the Sisters recognized that the community would need more care and more room to provide it. They later purchased Santa Cruz Hospital near downtown and operated both facilities to serve a growing number of local families.

Looking toward the future, the Sisters acquired a larger site on what was then the outskirts of the city. The new Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital was dedicated in 1967 at the location that continues to welcome patients and families today.

Medical knowledge, technology and the health needs of Santa Cruz County have changed greatly since those early years. Dominican has changed with them, building upon decades of experience while continuing to embrace new capabilities and approaches to care. The commitment that inspired the Adrian Dominican Sisters - to care for every person with compassion and dignity - remains a constant foundation for that progress.

Local Roots Strengthened by a Broader Network

Dominican Hospital became part of Dignity Health's predecessor organization, Catholic Healthcare West, in 1988. In 2019, Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives came together to create CommonSpirit Health, one of the country's largest nonprofit health systems.

That history helps explain who we are today. Generations of local families have turned to Dominican for care, while generations of physicians, nurses, employees and volunteers have made serving Santa Cruz County their life's work. Those deep local roots have given us valuable insight into the community, its strengths and the health challenges its residents face.

That experience does not keep us anchored to the past. It provides a strong foundation from which to learn, adapt and help shape the future of local care.

Today, Dominican's local presence is strengthened by its connection to a broader nonprofit health system. As a member of CommonSpirit Health, we can draw upon the knowledge and experience of a wide network while continuing to respond to the distinct needs of Santa Cruz County. Teams can share effective practices, explore new approaches to care and help prepare the next generation of health professionals.

The Dominican Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program is one example. Part of the More in Common Alliance and created to help advance health equity and prepare future physicians, the program gives residents hands-on experience caring for local patients alongside experienced Dominican caregivers.

Dominican's local identity and CommonSpirit's broader capabilities are complementary parts of the same story. Together, they support a shared nonprofit mission: improving health, expanding access and caring for each person with humanity - especially those who are most vulnerable.

Connected Care Throughout Santa Cruz County

Dominican's local care story extends beyond the hospital campus. Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican provides primary and specialty care at locations throughout Santa Cruz County, helping individuals and families receive personalized support through different stages of life.

Our clinicians care for everyday and ongoing health needs through services such as family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics, along with specialties including women's health, orthopedics, cancer care and rehabilitation. Urgent care and virtual care options provide additional ways for patients to connect with appropriate services.

Together, Dominican Hospital and Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican create important connections across the health journey. A relationship may begin with a primary care visit, continue through specialty or hospital treatment and extend into rehabilitation, education or ongoing wellness support.

Behind every service is a person with a life beyond their diagnosis: a parent hoping to return home, an athlete rebuilding strength, a patient learning to manage a chronic condition or a family looking for answers during an uncertain time.

Caring for those individuals often begins before a hospital stay and continues long after they return home. It includes helping people prevent illness, understand their health, recover their independence and find the support they need to move forward with confidence.

Extending Care Beyond Hospital Walls

Health is shaped by much more than what happens in a hospital or medical office. It is influenced by whether people have stable housing, nutritious food, emotional support, safe places to live and opportunities to receive care before a concern becomes a crisis.

Dominican's 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment reflects this broader understanding of health. Developed through local data and community input, the assessment identified interconnected priorities including housing and homelessness, behavioral health, access to care, economic insecurity, maternal and infant health, healthy lifestyles and cancer. The assessment helps Dominican understand where its programs, partnerships and resources may be most useful.

That work takes many forms that impact the lives of thousands of residents across Santa Cruz County. Dominican supports organizations such as Second Harvest Food Bank, Housing Matters and Dientes Community Dental Care, helping expand access to nutritious food, housing assistance and essential dental services for community members facing barriers to these resources. The Bennett & Suzy Katz Cancer Resource Center at the Mary & Richard Solari Cancer Center serves more than 10,000 people each year, helping patients and their families understand treatment options and navigate the cancer care journey. Dominican also supports behavioral health and youth development while connecting residents with preventive services, wellness education and financial assistance.

Care is also extended into the community through the Dominican Hospital Mobile Wellness Clinic, which brings episodic and preventive health services to locations throughout Santa Cruz County at no cost to patients who might otherwise face barriers to care. Among its many contributions, the clinic helped more than 800 local children receive the physicals they needed to participate in youth sports. At the Dominican Hospital Wellness Center, the focus shifts to helping people build knowledge, strength and confidence through health education, medically informed exercise, chronic-condition support and connection with others.

These efforts reflect a simple understanding: no hospital or medical group can improve community health alone. Meaningful progress grows from working alongside residents, caregivers, nonprofits, public agencies and local leaders who bring their own knowledge and commitment to the table.

Honoring the Past by Preparing for the Future

Dominican Hospital's history is a story of people recognizing a need and choosing to respond. The hospital expanded as the community grew. Services evolved as medicine advanced. New partnerships took shape as local health needs became more complex.

As we mark Dominican Hospital's 85th anniversary, we are celebrating more than longevity. We are honoring a legacy of learning, adapting and moving forward-one shaped by generations of patients, caregivers, physicians, volunteers and community partners.

That experience matters because meaningful progress rarely begins from scratch. It grows from understanding what has worked, recognizing what must change and applying what we have learned to the needs ahead. Dominican Hospital's long history gives us perspective, while our relationships across Dignity Health and CommonSpirit Health connect local teams with broader expertise, resources and opportunities for innovation.

Preparing for the future means developing new health professionals, supporting clinical excellence and finding more ways to connect people with care. It also means listening closely to our neighbors and allowing what we learn to shape how we serve.

The needs of Santa Cruz County will continue to change, just as they have since the Adrian Dominican Sisters arrived in 1941. Our commitment is to grow thoughtfully with the community while remaining grounded in the compassionate mission that began our story.

Our roots are local. Our mission is enduring. And through the dedication of our caregivers, physicians, advanced practice providers, volunteers and community partners - strengthened by the Dignity Health and CommonSpirit Health network - we remain committed to caring for Santa Cruz today and helping create a healthier future for generations to come.

Learn more about Dominican Hospital and Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican.