In 1878, at the request of the local community, the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception established the first hospital in Pembroke as a “General Hospital” open without exception to all citizens of Pembroke and area.
May 17, 1877 – The first meeting for the promotion of the Hospital project was held.
July 15, 1877 – A committee of prominent citizens was named to undertake the project.
February 23, 1878 – The first patients, Mrs. Pelletier and Mr. Daniel O’Meara were admitted to the new hospital located at 557 Pembroke St. E.
The total number of patients admitted in the first year of operation was 33. The first financial statement showed a revenue of $646 and expenses of $989.84, with a deficit of $343.84.
1885 – A horse and buggy were donated to be used by the hospital on the condition that it be returned to the convent when water was needed for laundry or when the convent had to transport freight.
1887 – Bishop Lorrain purchased the property on Mackay Street for a new hospital building.
1892 – The hospital moved to its new location at the corner of Mackay and Bell streets, the present Marianhill. The cost of the new hospital was $20,000.
February 5, 1893 – The first telephone was installed at a cost of $10 per year.
December 13, 1909 – The Lorrain Wing was added to the hospital.
1915 – Sun parlours were added to the hospital.
1916 – A separate maternity unit was opened. The Lorrain School of Nursing was opened. Sister St. Elizabeth was the first director and there were nine students enrolled in the first class.
1921 – An extensive new wing and laundry were added at a cost of $200,000.
1926 – The English speaking Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception took over the operation of the hospital from the Grey Nuns of the Cross of Ottawa.
1952 – A completely new hospital was built on the site, immediately to the south of the old hospital at a cost of two million dollars. The old building was converted to Marianhill, a Home for the Aged, the first Home for the Aged in Renfrew County.
1962 – A new nurses’ residence with educational facilities was erected at a cost of $685,585.
1965 – A new laundry, staff locker rooms, and morgue were constructed at a cost of $209,900.
1970 – Pembroke General Hospital assumed operation of an ambulance service.
1971 – A two-bay ambulance garage was built at a cost of $17,700.
1973 – Part of the former nurses’ residence was converted to a psychiatric out-patient department and office space for local physicians.
1974 – The fifth floor of the hospital, originally built for the Sisters’ residence, was converted to a 27-bed Nursing Home, Youville Nursing Home, at a cost of $75,000.
1977 – Additional space in the former nurses’ residence was converted to use as a psychiatric day hospital.
1981 – Additional bays were added to the ambulance facilities.
1982 – The fifth floor of the hospital was converted from a nursing home to hospital services departments.
1985 – A satellite ambulance base was established in Eganville.
1991 – A new five-bay ambulance station was built.
1992 – The ambulatory clinics moved from the emergency department to the Lorrain Wing.
1992-1995 – The hospital began implementation of a Five Year Plan which resulted in the hospital continuing to be a “General Hospital” offering a full range of acute care services – obstetrics, paediatrics, surgical, medical and emergency with emphasis on new delivery models requiring fewer beds.
December 3, 1996 – The Health Services Restructuring Commission handed down its interim report for Pembroke wherein it was announced that Pembroke General Hospital would be the only hospital as the Pembroke Civic Hospital would close by December 31, 1997.
January 1, 2000 – Pembroke General Hospital becomes the ambulance service provider for Renfrew County. The ambulance sites in Pembroke, Eganville, Renfrew, Petawawa, Deep River, Barry’s Bay and Arnprior fall within the jurisdiction of the Associate Base Hospital Program.
October 12, 2000 – Pembroke General Hospital launches public newsletter “Community Connection”.
May 23, 2001 – Pembroke General Hospital is designated as one of two University of Ottawa Heart Institute satellite sites for a new Cardiac Rehabilitation program.
April 5, 2002 – Pembroke General Hospital announces it has received final approval from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to go to public tender for its $36 million expansion project.
July 26, 2002 – Individuals from the community and hospital Board members come together to form the PGH Foundation.
December 17, 2002 – The Board announces it has approved the purchase of a General Electric brand CT Scanner and image handling system at a cost of $1.2 million.
January 30, 2003 – The PGH Board spearheads creation of a community-based Physician Recruitment Committee to work on bringing more primary care physicians to the region.
October 16, 2003 – PGH celebrates its 125th anniversary with a free “Party in the Park”.
February 28-29, 2004 – PGH hosts public tours of the hospital’s new expansion which includes the Emergency Department, Diagnostic Imaging, Outpatient and Inpatient Rehabilitation, the Mechanical Floor and the Medical Unit.
March 18, 2004 – PGH is designated as a District Stroke Centre.
April 8,. 2004 - A new tunnel linking Marianhill and the hospital is opened.
August 17, 2004 – The Pembroke General Hospital is renamed the Pembroke Regional Hospital to reflect the facility’s expanding role in the healthcare.
January 14, 2005 – The Pembroke Regional Hospital and Renfrew Victoria Hospital receive Ministry approval to establish a satellite Dialysis Unit in Pembroke.
January 17, 2005 – Pembroke Regional Hospital unveils a new logo for the facility.
January 20, 2005 – PRH celebrates the grand opening of the $46 million expansion. Project highlights include a new 19-bed Acute Mental Health Unit, a new 10-bed Intensive Care Unit, a new 22-bed Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, a new 40-bed Medical Unit, a new Emergency Department, a new Diagnostic Imaging department, and a new Outpatient Rehabilitation area.
April 20, 2005 - The hospital introduces a new voice-activated dialing system for its phones.
June 21, 2005 – PRH and the PRH Foundation announce that the $12 million Building for the Community fundraising campaign has ended successfully.
May 21, 2006 - The William H. Higginson Hemodialysis Unit operated by Renfrew Victoria Hospital is opened at PRH.
June 1, 2006 - PRH becomes a smoke-free environment.
June 22, 2006 - PRH and the University of Ottawa formalize an educational partnership with the signing of an Affiliation Agreement.
July 31, 2006 - PRH announces the hiring of new President and CEO Pierre Noel following to take effect with the retirement of Lloyd Koch.
October 27, 2006 - A smoking cessation program for patients is launched.
November 16, 2006 - PRH receives the Healthy Hospital Innovator's Award from the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) which recognizes demonstrated willingness to participate in the sharing of knowledge about healthy workplace initiatives and effective partnerships within and outside of the health sector.
June 11, 2007 - The hospital introduces a new geriatric inpatient program.
June 14, 2007 - Five new birthing suites are opened within the hospital's Maternal Child Care program.
February 22, 2008 - PRH and the Deep River and District Hospital formalize their working relationship with a Memorandum of Understanding.
May 29, 2008 - PRH makes a significant investment in new digital mammography equipment.
August, 2008 - The PRH cafeteria undergoes major renovations to its food service area and re-opens as The Lunch Box.
September 23, 2008 - The Family Medicine Teaching Unit opens.
June 15, 2010 - PRH joins the Diagnostic Imaging Repository which allows for centralized storage of images and a shared archive of files for easy access.
June 30, 2010 - PRH celebrates the arrival of its second CT scanner - a 256-slice valued at $1.7 million to replace the four-slice original model.
September 1, 2010 - PRH becomes a smoke-free property.
March, 2011 - New state-of-the-art surgical suites are opened in Tower D.
May 4, 2011 - In partnership with the Ottawa Hospital's Regional Cancer Program a new satellite Systemic Therapy service is launched.
June, 2011 - The hospital introduces a new Patient's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.
September 1, 2011 - PRH receives approvals to purchase and operate an MRI.
September 6, 2012 - The MRI Image Matters fundraising campaign is launched.
September 27, 2012 - PRH launches the sale of PRH gift cards for use in The Lunch Box, The Mural Café and The Sunshine Gift Shop.
October, 2012 - The Maternal Child Care Program launches the Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently (MOREOB) program to enhance standardized care.
October 31, 2012 - Cell phone use is permitted in public areas of the hospital where direct patient care is not being provided.
November 9, 2012 - Zone B opens in the Emergency Department for the care of lower acuity patients.
April, 2013 - PRH begins using Lean management methodologies to find efficiencies throughout the organization.
May 29, 2013 - PRH joins the Trillium Gift of Life Network for the promotion of organ and tissue donation.
July 25, 2013 - The Woodworking Factory - the non-profit business owned and operated by Mental Health Services of Renfrew County opens in its new location at 130 Belmont St.
April 23, 2014 - PRH becomes co-chair of the new North Renfrew County Health Link.
July 30, 2014 - A new publicly-funded, community-based physiotherapy clinic is located at PRH.
January 1, 2015 - PRH launches its official Facebook page.
February 6, 2015 - A new Heart Function Clinic is launched, part of the hospital's Vascular Health Program.
March 25, 2015 - MedSleep, a provider of comprehensive diagnosis and integrated treatment for sleep disorders opens in Tower D at PRH.
April 22, 2015 - PRH signs on to the Healthy Foods in Champlain Hospitals program.
April 29, 2015 - Mental Health Services of Renfrew County launch a new logo and tagline.
June 24, 2015 - The PRH Patient and Family Advisory Council is developed.
August 12, 2015 - The hospital's new MRI is delivered to the new MRI suite.
October 1, 2015 - The new MRI becomes fully operational.
October 23, 2015 - The $4.5 million MRI Image Matters fundraising campaign comes to a close.
October 29, 2015 - A public celebration for MRI and the fundraising of $4.5 million is held at the Best Western.
November 12, 2015 - The ambulatory clinics are moved from Tower C to Tower D.
November 23, 2015 - PRH achieves the Bronze Level Designation in the Healthy Foods in Champlain Hospitals program.
November 27, 2015 - PRH is recognized by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute for leadership and best practices in Cardiovascular Care.
June, 2016 - PRH Launches new website.
December, 2016 - PRH Celebrates 10-year partnership with University of Ottawa Heart Institute offering smoking cessation support to patients.
January, 2017 - PRH launches full service orthopaedics program
November, 2017 - PRH achieves the Silver Level Designation in the Healthy Foods in Champlain Hospitals program.
March 1st, 2018 - PRH Foundation hosts inaugural Radiothon raising $44,000.
April 1st, 2018 - PRH partners with Kids Health Alliance (KHA) to make improvements to paediatric healthcare.
Spring, 2018 - EORLA moves onsite lab to new consolidated location in Tower A.
Fall, 2018 - PRH moves all internal laundry services to offsite provider.
November, 2018 - In partnership with the Champlain LHIN, PRH launches new Community Stroke Rehabilitation program.
November 2, 2018 - PRH is awarded Accreditation with Exemplary Standing by Accreditation Canada.
March 4, 2019 - PRH introduces Patient Service Attendants in the Emergency Department.
March 18, 2019 - Investment in new X-Ray equipment improves efficiency and image quality.
April 26, 2019 - PRH Foundation unveils new Tribute Wall.
May 9, 2019 - Official PRH Twitter account is launched.
June 27, 2019 - EORLA makes significant investment in new technology at PRH.
March, 2020 - The start of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
September 11, 2020 - PRH adopts new electronic referral system for DI bookings.
October 15, 2020 - New Geriatric Rehab Program is launched.
January 15, 2021 - PRH Foundation launches Cancer Care Campaign.
February 26, 2021 - PRH begins distribution of new COVID-19 vaccine.
March 9, 2021 - Preparations are made to move COVID-19 vaccination clinics to Pembroke's PMC.
August 24, 2021 - Family Medicine Teaching Unit moves to the 4th floor of Tower D.
March 17, 2022 - PRH expands ability to care for higher acuity patients in the ICU.
April 19, 2022 - Launch of virtual psychiatric care ensures patient needs are met and care delivery is consistent.
June, 2022 - PRH launches Instagram social media site.
June 20, 2022 - PRH invests in new Nuclear Medicine equipment.
June 29, 2022 - PRH makes investment in new mammography equipment.
September 23, 2022 - PRH Foundation launches new digital donor wall.
September 28, 2022 - PRH announces appointment of Sabine Mersmann as new President and CEO.
October 18, 2022 - PRH develops innovative ways to address unprecedented staffing shortages.