Our History:
100 Years of Service
In 1902 a small group of visionary women went door-to-door, collecting coins with the goal of raising $1,000 as a down payment on a “place to care for the indigent sick of the Jewish faith.” In just four weeks they had raised an incredible $80,000. Thanks to their efforts and the generosity of 450 community donors, the first Miriam Hospital opened in 1926 on Parade Street with 63 beds and 14 bassinets.
Since then, the extraordinary generosity of The Miriam Hospital’s philanthropic community has been the catalyst for much of its growth. When the need to expand beyond a small neighborhood hospital became evident, a group of fundraising friends turned their attention from linens and surgical supplies to initiating a major building fund drive. The result was $1.3 million raised and the 1952 opening of the new 150-bed Miriam Hospital on 164 Summit Avenue.
“I really have to credit my mother, Ruth Markoff, for instilling in me and my two sisters, Dotty and Bernice, the importance of giving back to our community. Leading by example, she joined forces with other women in our neighborhood, going door-to-door with their silver pushkes to collect donations, pleading for friends and family to help meet this important community need. If these women only knew what the future would hold for their fundraising efforts—a century of incredible care for everyone in our region.
The Miriam Hospital and I both began our lives in 1926, and I am incredibly proud to continue my family’s legacy of support. I’ve given a lot of time and financial support to many organizations in Rhode Island—but being part of The Miriam Hospital has touched my heart and spirit like no other. Today, The Miriam is looking to the next generation of supporters. We all can be—in fact must be—part of The Miriam’s next century.”
– The late Gloria Markoff Winston,
The Miriam Hospital’s Long-Standing Volunteer and Generational Supporter