Our History
Our History
To help ensure that they will be here for the next generation, physicians and hospitals in Northern California—along with the communities they serve—decided to join together. Sutter Health is the not-for-profit network we're creating.
We started out as independent health care providers, but forces like rising costs and declining payment for services have made it difficult for hospitals and physicians to continue operating on their own. Just in the last decade, more than 100 Northern California hospitals have had to close their doors, and the majority of state's physician groups are facing significant problems as well.
Our Historical Roots
While Sutter Health as it is today was created through the January 1996 merger of Sacramento-based Sutter Health and Bay Area-based California Healthcare System, the foundation of Sutter Health began taking shape well over 100 years ago, as independent hospitals opened to meet the health care needs of their local communities.