UPMC Passavant in Cranberry is located at 1 St. Francis Way, in Cranberry Township. Eagle File Photo

This year, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center health system is celebrating the 175th anniversary of the UPMC Passavant hospital. Founded in 1849 in the Uptown section of Pittsburgh, the first hospital — now known as UPMC Passavant-McCandless — has since moved to Babcock Road in the North Hills neighborhood, and later gained a sister location in Cranberry Township.

The original hospital in Pittsburgh was known simply as the North Pittsburgh Infirmary, and opened its doors in 1849 under the direction of founder Rev. Dr. William Passavant, a Lutheran minister from Zelienople. When it opened, it was the first Protestant hospital in the United States. Its initial function was to serve U.S. soldiers returning home from the Mexican-American War.

The hospital was renamed after Dr. Passavant in time for its 50th anniversary in 1899.

It wasn’t until 1964 that Passavant Hospital would move to its current location in the North Hills section of Pittsburgh, after years of petitioning and fundraising efforts from North Hills residents who needed easier access to a hospital. More than 3,000 people assisted with circulating petitions as part of the “Bring it North” campaign that culminated on Feb. 24, 1964, when the move to the North Hills happened.

In January 1997, Passavant Hospital agreed to merge with the UPMC system, becoming an independent entity within the hospital network and refocusing its efforts on providing “tertiary care” — specialized care provided only after referral from primary and secondary care providers. In the case of Passavant, this includes services centered around specialized heart health, cancer treatment, gastrointestinal and colon care, and women’s health.

“Advanced specialties previously available only from UPMC Presbyterian-Shadyside, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in the city are now embedded within the community at UPMC Passavant,” Beardsley said. “We are the only hospital in the Pittsburgh region to offer robotic liver surgery, and we are the first hospital in the region with robotic bronchoscopy technology for early lung cancer diagnosis.”

In 2002, the now-renamed UPMC Passavant expanded its reach into Cranberry Township when St. Francis Hospital agreed to affiliate with the UPMC system, becoming UPMC Passavant–Cranberry.

The Cranberry location is a 17-acre campus located at the intersection of Route 19 and Route 228, which includes a 33-bed hospital and helipad, as well as the Cranberry Place retirement community. It offers services from the cancer center, the heart and vascular institute, and the women’s care center.