St. Clair Hospital

St. Clair Hospital’s roots are firmly planted with South Hills residents’ desire for a better quality of life and their steadfast determination to make it happen.  

Near the end of World War II, as the population of the South Hills continued to grow at a rapid pace, the community realized that access to emergency and routine health care was problematic. The closest hospital was a long, often difficult drive through city streets, and a lack of health care close to home was resulting in lost lives and compromised health, especially during emergency situations.

With that in mind, a group of concerned community members, led by prominent local physician Dr. Arthur S. Haines, came together with a single goal of finding a way to open and operate a hospital that would be located in the South Hills.  For several years, community members worked tirelessly to raise funds to build and equip the new facility. 

Children went door-to-door selling bouquets of flowers, the newly-formed St. Clair Hospital Auxiliary sponsored card parties in local neighborhoods, and businesses made corporate donations and encouraged their employees to give.  The Silhol family donated a large piece of land on the corners of Bower Hill Road and Wren Drive in Mt. Lebanon for the hospital building. Through dedicated effort and a strong belief in their rallying cry, “Together we can do it,” contributions large and small began to add up.

Finally, in 1951, ground was broken for the new hospital, named after American patriot, student of medicine, and early Pittsburgh settler, Major Arthur St. Clair (1736-1818).

The community members who diligently worked to make the hospital a reality decided they were not going to settle for any kind of hospital. Their hospital would provide quality, compassionate health care.  A hospital for the entire community to call its own. One that is self-governed so it would answer only to the needs of its patients and the community. It would be a hospital unlike any other in the region.  In 1954, St. Clair Hospital opened its doors.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, St. Clair Hospital conducted various fundraising campaigns for specific expansion and building projects. In 1985, the St. Clair Hospital Foundation was founded by the late Frank L. Wiegand, who had served on the Hospital Board of Directors for a number of years. 

The Foundation Today

Today, St. Clair Hospital continues to rely on the generous support of individuals and businesses to meet the expanding healthcare needs of area residents.  The St. Clair Hospital Foundation – a private, non-sectarian, not-for-profit 501c(3) tax exempt affiliate of St. Clair Hospital – raises funds to support the Hospital’s healthcare services, technologies and outreach efforts, and helps to ensure that medical excellence will continue for generations.

Foundation Staff

George L. Bond, III Executive Director 412.942.2610 george.bond@stclair.org

Liane Ruch Foundation Associate 412.942.2615 liane.ruch@stclair.org

The St. Clair Hospital Foundation Board of Directors 2008 

Gary J. Zentner, Chairman Retired, Former President of PNC Equity Management		Harry E. Serene, M.D., Vice Chairman Retired, St. Clair Hospital Physician
Robert Allman Of Counsel, Marcus & Shapira, LLP		Andrew Aloe President, Shenango Inc.
Jodi M. Amos Sr. VP, Fifth Third Bank		Charles Brewick Auxiliary/Volunteer Member
Nancy T. Brown Sr. VP, Citi Smith Barney		Donald J. Hastings Sr. Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch
Bryan Hondru Chairman, HDH Group		Michael Kutsenkow, M.D. Retired Physician
Aleen Mathews Community Volunteer		Thomas M. Medwig President, Medwig & Company
Jack B. Piatt CEO, Millcraft Industries		Stephen Reich Esq., Reich PM Sports Marketing
Andrew F. Rodgers Chairman, Rodgers Insurance Group		Bonnie Sandman Community Volunteer
Robert N. Shogry, M.D. Cardiologist, South Hills Cardiology Associates		Joseph B. Smith Sr. VP, Marketing, Dollar Bank
C. Vaughn Strimlan, M.D. Pulmonologist, South Hills Pulmonary Associates

Why Give to the St. Clair Hospital Foundation?

Pride in the community and a commitment to medical excellence are just two of the many reasons why individuals and corporations give to the St. Clair Hospital Foundation. Every dollar donated to the Foundation stays in the community and is used for the community’s health and well-being – whether it is for patient transportation, the purchase of a new technology, financial assistance for patients, or support of an educational program.

As it was over 50 years ago, our roots are still firmly planted in the South Hills and its communities.