Our History

Through the years we have helped generation after generation reach better health. Our organization has been striving to serve the needs of our region since we were established in 1957 as a proprietary hospital by Dr. Lester Morrison and a group of his associates who saw the need for a hospital in the burgeoning community of East Whittier. Orange trees were being bulldozed at an alarming rate in those days and it was hard to keep up with the new homes and schools, but only a small and fairly old Murphy Hospital served the health care needs of the people of Whittier.

Whittier Hospital opened its doors for patients during National Hospital Week, May, 1957, with 52 beds for acute care patients, a 3-room surgery suite and a 10-bed nursery to compliment the obstetrics department. Approximately 125 physicians from Whittier and the surrounding areas joined the active and courtesy staff of the new hospital.

In 1962, the hospital became a not-for-profit facility, which it remained until its sale to Summit Health Ltd. Within very short time, the need for more rooms was apparent, and in 1965, the hospital expanded to 99 beds, which included an Intensive Care Unit, Recovery Room, pediatrics area, a patient patio, complete basement storage under the new section and a small emergency room. The next major expansion took place in 1972 when the hospital opened the new three-story towers building, which brought the bed total to 197.

After the purchase by Summit Health Ltd. in November, 1981, the hospital's name was changed to Whittier Hospital Medical Center. At this time, plans were made to enlarge certain areas in the near future, including the emergency department, radiology, laboratory, pharmacy and critical care units.

In April 1994, Whittier Hospital Medical Center became part of Ornda HealthCorp and three years later was acquired by Tenet Healthcare Corporation.

On November 1, 2004, the hospital was purchased by AHMC Healthcare Inc. along with three other former Tenet hospitals, Garfield Medical Center, Monterey Park Hospital and Greater El Monte Community Hospital.

Whittier Hospital Medical Center is now a 178-bed acute care hospital, accredited by Joint Commission (JC), with a medical staff of approximately 500 physicians representing over 40 specialties. Being part of the community has been an important goal throughout the years, and with your help and loyalty we can continue to provide health services that you can depend on.