--- title: HR 607. St. Joseph's Hospital of Savannah, Georgia; 150th anniversary; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr607 cite_as: HR 607, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr607 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr607.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr607/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71376 date: 2025-03-13 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr606.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr608.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr607.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 607 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-13 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Jon Burns - Ron Stephens - Edna Jackson - Anne Westbrook - Lee Hawkins - Carl Gilliard text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR607/2025 upstream_id: 2006980 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - hospital anniversary - Savannah history - ceremonial resolution - healthcare recognition --- # HR 607. St. Joseph's Hospital of Savannah, Georgia; 150th anniversary; recognize ## Text 25 LC 112 3327 House Resolution 607 By: Representatives Burns of the 159 th, Stephens of the 164 th, Jackson of the 165 th, Westbrook of the 163rd, Hawkins of the 27th, and others A RESOLUTION Congratulating St. Joseph's Hospital of Savannah, Georgia, upon its 150th anniversary; and1 for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, the genesis of St. Joseph's Hospital began in 1875 when the Sisters of Mercy3 took over operations of the Forest City Marine Hospital in what is now Savannah's National4 Historic Landmark District; and5 WHEREAS, since its inception, Savannahians have come to trust t he consummate care,6 compassion, and medical expertise that have become synonymous with the name St. Joseph's7 Hospital; and8 WHEREAS, throughout its illustrious history, St. Joseph's Hospital has built its heritage and9 reputation on a continued commitment to cutting-edge medicine t hrough highly skilled10 physicians, top-notch clinical professionals, and state-of-the- art medical technologies and11 procedures; and12 WHEREAS, as a not-for-profit community hospital, St. Joseph's h as had a profound and13 lasting impact on generations of Georgians and has continuously infused its community with14 an enriched sense of health, wellness, safety, and pride; and15 H. R. 607 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3327 WHEREAS, the core of this hospital's mission-centric philosophy is rooted in God's16 ever-present love, and its longevity is sustained by its consis tent works of mercy, always17 focused on the people and communities it serves; and18 WHEREAS, its strength in the Savannah community was further for tified by its joint19 affiliation with Candler Hospital in 1997, forming the largest and most experienced health20 care provider in Southeast Georgia while remaining locally controlled and governed; and21 WHEREAS, St. Joseph's/Candler was nationally recognized by the American Hospital22 Association with its prestigious Foster G. McGaw Award for its commitment to community23 outreach through innovative programs such as St. Mary's Communi ty Center, St. Mary's24 Health Center, the Good Samaritan Clinic, the African American Health Information &25 Resource Center, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, and the Angels of Mercy26 Community Volunteer Corps; and27 WHEREAS, as St. Joseph's Hospital celebrates the historic occasion of its 150th anniversary,28 it is fitting to honor its rich past, salute the strength of its faith-filled service in treating illness29 and promoting wellness for all people in the communities it serves, and look forward with30 tremendous pride to its sustained health and future growth for the benefit of all residents of31 Southeast Georgia.32 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that33 the members of this body congratulate St. Joseph's Hospital, th e Sisters of Mercy, the34 hospital's past and present leadership team, and all its co-workers on the grand occasion of35 its 150th anniversary and extend best wishes for its continued service to the citizens of the36 City of Savannah and the surrounding regions.37 H. R. 607 - 2 - 25 LC 112 3327 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized38 and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution avai lable for distribution to the39 public and the press.40 H. R. 607 - 3 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A House resolution congratulates St. Joseph's Hospital of Savannah on its 150th anniversary, honoring its history and continued service to Southeast Georgia. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It recognizes St. Joseph's Hospital of Savannah, which traces its origins to 1875 when the Sisters of Mercy took over the Forest City Marine Hospital. The resolution recounts the hospital's history, including its 1997 joint affiliation with Candler Hospital to form St. Joseph's/Candler, and a national award it received for community outreach programs. It formally congratulates the hospital, the Sisters of Mercy, and its leadership and staff on the 150th anniversary, and directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### What it does - Congratulates St. Joseph's Hospital of Savannah, the Sisters of Mercy, and hospital leadership and staff on the hospital's 150th anniversary. - Recites the hospital's history, including its 1875 founding and 1997 affiliation with Candler Hospital to form St. Joseph's/Candler. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies of the resolution available to the public and the press. - Extends best wishes for the hospital's continued service to Savannah and the surrounding region. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names St. Joseph's Hospital of Savannah, the Sisters of Mercy, and the hospital's past and present leadership and co-workers. It has no regulatory effect on other hospitals, patients, or the general public. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or regulatory effect and does not change any Georgia law, funding, or hospital operations. Its practical effect is symbolic: a formal, public statement from the House recognizing the hospital's history and community role. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the hospital's founding in 1875 and its 1997 joint affiliation with Candler Hospital. - The whereas clauses note the hospital received the American Hospital Association's Foster G. McGaw Award for community outreach programs. - The resolving clause formally congratulates the hospital, the Sisters of Mercy, and its leadership and co-workers on the 150th anniversary. - The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-13) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-13) - Sponsors: Jon Burns, Ron Stephens, Edna Jackson, Anne Westbrook, Lee Hawkins, Carl Gilliard - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71376 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr607.md?full=1