Sutter Health History
The roots of Sutter Health first formed to help local communities cope with growing populations, epidemics and natural disasters. Doctors, hospitals and community members in Northern California who were determined to ensure that healthcare services would be available for future generations joined together to formally create Sutter Health. This passion for improving the health of the community continues to drive us forward today.
Where We Started
Sutter Health has championed compassionate, high-quality care for nearly two centuries. Beginning as independent hospitals in the 1800s, the Sutter Health of today was formed through the January 1996 merger of the Sacramento-based Sutter Health and the Bay Area-based California Healthcare System.
- Mid-1850s: Local leaders in San Francisco opened a makeshift hospital to care for the community’s health needs.
- 1875: Charlotte Amanda Blake Brown, one of the first female doctors to practice on the West Coast, joined forces with other prominent San Francisco women to establish a hospital for women that was operated by women. This would later merge with the 1850s San Francisco facility to become California Pacific Medical Center.
- 1876: Amador County Hospital opened to aid the county miners who needed medical help. This was the predecessor to today's Sutter Amador Hospital.
- 1905: Alta Alice Miner Bates founded the eight-bed Alta Bates Sanitorium for women and children, which would become the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.
- 1908: Mills Hospital opened, largely through the efforts of Elizabeth Mills Reid. Over time, this six-bed facility expanded into Mills-Peninsula Health Center.
- 1930: A group of doctors associated with Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento created the first open enrollment hospital insurance plan in the U.S. Sutter General Hospital served as the headquarters for the plan, offering covered, affordable care.
Improving Access to Care
Sutter is continuously striving to expand access to our award-winning care. We’ve grown from a few independent hospitals to an integrated system that provides primary and specialty care throughout Northern California. Our medical groups bring decades of medical excellence to the communities we serve.
Shaping the Future of Healthcare
Throughout its history, Sutter Health teams have worked tirelessly to improve the health of the people they serve. Teams at Sutter have further advanced healthcare through novel procedures and technology, like the first heart-lung machine and the first use of lasers in eye disease and skin treatment.
Today, Sutter is one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in the nation. We serve 3.5 million people each year and care for 1 out of every 100 Americans. Through new care locations, additional services and digital tools, we’re constantly innovating and expanding to help more people feel their best. We're 57,000+ employees aligned by the same vision: caring for our patients first and our people always.