Border Heritage Center: Sanatorium

Friday, March 6, 2020

Sanatorium

Health Havens in the Sun City

St. Joseph's Sanatorium - El Paso, TX

Sanatorium: A facility of long term medical care most closely associated with the treatment of tuberculosis.

Before the discovery of antibiotics, tuberculosis, or consumption, was a major threat to public health. The desperation of lungers seeking climate treatment was seen throughout the Southwest. That includes El Paso. The earliest mention of Sanatoriums in the local papers was the El Paso Times January 4th issue of 1893. The popularity of Sanatoria created the opportunity for specialization of the facilities such as fraternal sanatoriums and even a baby sanatorium.

One of the many sanatoriums that operated in El Paso was St. Joseph's Sanatorium. It was started by the Sisters of St. Joseph on August 21, 1927. The first year, they cared for 32 patients suffering from tuberculosis. Even after Tuberculosis sufferers had lessened, the usefulness of the facility had not. In fact, the sister later needed to appeal to the city of El Paso for assistance in an expansion. The older building needed undergo changes for safety purposes, but they also needed more space to support a growing number of patients suffering long term illnesses.

In 1971, the new facility that boasted space for 118 patients and more health services.The original St. Joseph's building was remodeled and was renamed the Mt. Franklin Center.