Then and Now

In the past 125 years, health care has seen numerous changes from the way providers dress to how medical records are stored. Learn more about how Ascension St. Vincent’s has evolved throughout the years.

Operating Rooms
The original state-of-the-art St. Vincent's was an impressive facility that included an operating room with an amphitheater for observation. Practically from the first day of St. Vincent's opening, surgery (tonsillectomies and appendectomies) was a routine procedure at the hospital.

Operating rooms and hospital layouts in the past were set up to accommodate every surgery taking place on a particular day. All of the tools the doctor would need for the day were pre-arranged, and surgeries were largely experimental.

Now, all of the necessary equipment to perform it is prepared beforehand to ensure everything is kept sterile. Our surgeons deliver leading surgical care that starts with a personalized care plan. They are part of an integrated national network of doctors and care teams, sharing best practices for advanced treatment options. Our surgical care teams use the latest techniques and guided imaging technology, including minimally invasive surgery or robotic surgery, which can help shorten patients' time.

Technology

In just the past few decades, there have been countless milestones in medical technology innovation, including vaccines and minimally invasive surgery treatments. Healthcare today continues to see advancements such as robotic surgeries, 3D imaging, and stem cell research.

St. Vincent's Birmingham was the first hospital in the state to offer multiple Mazor Robotics Renaissance System™ robots for minimally invasive spinal surgery. The Mazor Robotics Renaissance System helps our surgeons create a virtual, 3D plan before a patient's surgery.

Pharmacy
In the past, pharmacists had little patient interaction and solely filled prescriptions behind a counter either within the hospital or at a community pharmacy. Medications were dispensed as nurses made rounds. Today, the process is electronically documented and verified to help assure the highest possible level of patient safety.

St. Vincent's pharmacists do more than stock prescriptions. They also administer vaccines, review medication regimens and prevent harmful drug reactions. Throughout a patient's hospital stay, our pharmacy team collaborates with doctors and nurses and use the latest technology to help streamline their treatment and recovery.

Medical records

Storage rooms used to be filled floor to ceiling with patient files and paperwork. Gone are the days of paper medical records!

A sample from patient registers during St. Vincent's earlier years underscores the hospital's dedication to serve anyone in need. Information about the patients included name, address, age, nativity, religion, occupation, and diagnosis. Since St. Vincent's treated people of every race and economic level, this information provided an interesting snapshot of Birmingham at that time. Patients were typically admitted for appendicitis and tonsillitis. Other diagnoses revealed the dangerous life that existed for many who worked in the iron and steel industry. In 1918, the most expensive procedure was the delivery of a child, which cost $6. An appendectomy costs $5, a tonsillectomy $2.50. A two-week hospital stay was $4.

Today, hospital records, patient files, prescriptions, forms, and more are kept on computer systems known as electronic medical records.

Nursing Uniforms

The early version of a nurse’s uniform combined functionality and femininity. Longer hemlines and sleeves were designed to protect nurses from infection, while the white caps conveyed the prestige of the profession.

As more men entered the nursing field, scrubs were introduced as a gender-neutral, professional and practical option.