Skip to main content

Quick menu

  • (425) 688-5000
  • MyChart
  • Giving
Home

Main menu

  • Doctors
  • Locations
  • Services
  • Visit
    • Classes & Events
    • Health Library
    • Healthy Outlook
    • Medical Records
    • View All
  • About
    • Careers
    • Contact
    • Giving
    • Project FutureCare
    • Volunteer
    • View All
  • Giving
  • Careers
    • Employee Benefits
    • Working Here
    • View All
Overlake Medical Center

Quick menu - Mobile

  • (425) 688-5000
  • MyChart
  • Giving

Main menu - Mobile

  • Doctors
  • Locations
  • Services
  • Visit
    • Classes & Events
    • Health Library
    • Healthy Outlook
    • Medical Records
    • View All
  • About
    • Careers
    • Contact
    • Giving
    • Project FutureCare
    • Volunteer
    • View All
  • Giving
  • Careers
    • Employee Benefits
    • Working Here
    • View All

History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. About

Share

Copy Link

The vision for high-quality healthcare on the Eastside began in 1953 when community leaders and volunteers joined forces and set in motion a seven year fundraising campaign. A dedicated group of women formed an Auxiliary, led by Clyde Hill resident Lorraine Weltzien, and began raising money to bring the dream of the hospital to life. In addition, area businessmen and physicians purchased the property where the hospital now sits.

In the weeks leading up to the grand opening, community members and hospital supporters speculated who might be the first patient. The hospital was scheduled to open at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 16, 1960, but when Rose Cziprian went into labor on early Sunday morning and worried she wouldn’t make it across the bridge in time, the staff opened the doors five hours early just for her. A short time later Dr. Stewart Hilscher delivered Rose’s baby, Katherine "Kathy" Mary.

The day Kathy was born there were 56 beds in the hospital. In the years that followed Overlake quickly grew to what it is today: a 349-bed medical center distinguished for its cardiac, surgical, cancer and women's services. The hospital treats more than 245,000 outpatients and 18,000 inpatients each year, while welcoming more than 4,000 babies into the world.

Significant Moments in Our History

  • 1951: The U.S. Department of Health concludes the number of Puget Sound area hospitals is inadequate.
  • 1952: The Overlake Memorial Hospital Association is formed to raise money for a community hospital, find a site and build it. 
  • 1953: Local citizens form the Fabiola Auxiliary, the first Auxiliary in the U.S. to be established before a hospital existed.
  • 1959: Hospital construction begins. 
  • 1960: Hospital opens with 56 beds. Initial cost of $1.2 million. 
  • 1963: New North Wing adds 23 beds.
  • 1965: Major $110,000 expansion of Surgery Center is completed. 
  • 1967: East Wing opens with coronary and intensive care units. 
  • 1968: Eleven-bed Psychiatric Unit added. 
  • 1969: 10,000th baby born at Overlake. 
  • 1970: Emergency Department physicians on duty 24 hours a day. 
  • 1982: New Emergency Room opens. 
  • 1983: Overlake Memorial Hospital officially changes its name to Overlake Hospital Medical Center to reflect more comprehensive services. 
  • 1986: Overlake approved to perform open heart surgery.
  • 1989: New Surgical Pavilion opens. 
  • 1990: New Childbirth Center opens.
  • 2004: Overlake Medical Center Issaquah opens to serve the expanding Eastside.
  • 2007: $134 million South Tower campus expansion completed, adds 104 beds. 
  • 2008: Overlake contracts with Group Health to provide its members with inpatient and surgical care. 
  • 2009: PACCAR Education Center opens to support staff, physician and community education. 
  • 2009: Remodeled Childbirth Center opens. 
  • 2009: Hospital launches Season’s Dining Room Service program. 
  • 2010: Robotics surgical program begins. 
  • 2010: Overlake celebrates 50 years of healing.
  • Doctors
  • Locations
  • Services
  • Visit
    • Amenities
    • Billing & Insurance
      • Billing & Payments
      • Cost Estimate
      • Financial Assistance
        • Translated Charity Care Forms
      • Healthcare Costs & Charges
      • Insurances & Coverage
      • Payment Options
    • Campus Map & Parking
    • Classes & Events
    • Health Library
    • Healthy Outlook
    • Interpreter & Deaf Services
    • Medical Records
    • Patient Guide
    • Patient Portal
    • Resolving Concerns
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Spiritual Care
    • Visitors Guide
      • Lodging
      • Waiting Areas
    • The DAISY Award
    • Safe in Our Care
      • Preparing for Your Visit
      • COVID-19 Resources
      • COVID-19 Vaccine Information
      • Community Resource Clinics
      • Virtual Care Visits
      • Visitor Notice
  • About
    • Awards and Recognitions
    • Careers
    • Clinical Trials
      • Patient Rights
      • Request Information
      • Studies
        • Breast Tissue Repository
        • COMET
        • CREST-2
        • CREST-H
        • Convalescent Plasma Expanded Access
        • EXACT
        • LiquiBand FIX8
        • MiRNA
        • Remdesivir Expanded Access
        • SALLY
        • SATURN
        • SEER-Lung
        • SEERPRO
      • Who Qualifies?
      • Why Are Clinical Trials Important?
    • Community Benefit
      • Corporate Sponsorship Application
    • Contact
      • Phone Directory
      • Send a Message
    • Giving
      • About the Foundation
      • Bandage Ball
      • Campaign FutureCare
        • Campaign Cabinet
        • Community Support
        • Heart Operating Rooms
        • Inpatient Mental Healthcare
        • Make a Gift for the Future
        • New East Tower & Childbirth Center
      • Circle of Excellence
        • Healthcare 2021-Registration
        • Join the Circle of Excellence
      • Corporate Giving & Sponsorships
      • How to Give
        • Employee Giving
        • Endowments
        • Matching Gifts
        • Planned Giving
      • Make a Gift
      • Opportunities for Giving
        • Overlake Frontline Support Fund
        • Specialty School Holiday Giving
        • Support Brain & Spine Care
        • Support Excellence in Patient Care
        • Support Heart & Vascular Care
        • Support Mental Health Care
        • Support Women's & Infants' Care
        • Support the Cancer Center
        • Support the Charity Care Program
      • Publications
      • Pulse Network
        • Join Pulse
      • Support the COVID-19 Response
        • Make a Gift to the Response Fund
        • Thank You to Community Supporters
    • Leadership
      • Patient & Family Advisory Council
    • Project FutureCare
      • Groundbreaking Media Kit
    • Quality
    • Volunteer
  • Giving
  • Careers
    • Employee Benefits
    • Our Teams
      • Administrative & Clerical
      • Clinical Professionals
      • Leadership
      • Non-Clinical
      • Nursing
        • Clinical Care Congress
        • Nurse Residency Program
        • Philosophy of Nursing
      • Providers
      • Services & Trade
      • Technology
      • Volunteer
    • Working Here
Subscribe to Healthy Outlook

Your privacy is important to us. Submission of this form is subject to our online privacy policy.

Overlake Medical Center & Clinics

1035 116th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004

Phone: (425) 688-5000

Overlake Medical Center & Clinics
Overlake Medical Center & Clinics
Overlake Medical Center & Clinics
Overlake Medical Center & Clinics
Overlake Medical Center & Clinics

Footer Sitemap

  • CONTRIBUTE
    • Foundation
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
  • JOIN OUR TEAM
    • Careers
  • PROFESSIONALS
    • For Employees
    • For Providers
    • For Volunteers
  • PATIENT RESOURCES
    • Billing & Insurance
    • Campus Map & Parking
    • Financial Assistance
    • Pay Your Bill
    • Schedule an Appointment
  • CONNECT
    • Contact Us
    • Classes & Events
    • Community Benefit
    • Healthy Outlook
    • Newsroom

Footer Sitemap

  • CONTRIBUTE
    • Foundation
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
  • JOIN OUR TEAM
    • Careers
  • PROFESSIONALS
    • For Employees
    • For Providers
    • For Volunteers
  • PATIENT RESOURCES
    • Billing & Insurance
    • Campus Map & Parking
    • Financial Assistance
    • Pay Your Bill
    • Schedule an Appointment
  • CONNECT
    • Contact Us
    • Classes & Events
    • Community Benefit
    • Healthy Outlook
    • Newsroom

© 2021 Overlake Hospital Medical Center. All rights reserved.

Footer

  • Online Privacy Notice
  • Policies and Notices
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
  • Language Assistance Policy