Our History

During an era of war, peace and politics, the 1870’s also marked the beginning of a hospital destined for greatness. The Sisters of the Community of St. Mary’s had an idea to establish a facility to provide free care for sick and needy children. Founded in Manhattan in 1870 with just 15 beds and limited funding, St. Mary’s hospital was the first private medical institution in New York dedicated to the care of acutely ill children. In 1951, St. Mary’s flagship facility was moved to a nine acre campus in Queens where it currently operates a 97-bed inpatient program. In 1983, St. Mary’s added a family-centered home care program that currently serves 4,000 children daily.

Over three decades ago, Dr. Burton Grebin, our beloved former President and CEO walked through the doors of St. Mary’s and began the long journey towards building a bridge of hope for children with special needs. During the 140 years since its inception, St. Mary’s has continuously re-evaluated its focus and services to meet the emerging needs of new generations of children and their families as a multi-denominational organization.

Through our strong commitment to patient care and education, we have kept our commitment to the founders; the Sisters of St. Mary’s, to turn children with the most complex medical conditions into happier, healthier, and stronger kids.

St. Mary’s New Patient Pavilion
St. Mary’s Hospital for Children has been providing unrivaled care to New York’s children and families with special needs for 140 years and we are always finding innovative ways to keep providing the best pediatric care possible.We are in the midst of a comprehensive campaign to build a new Patient Pavilion at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children to modernize the medical campus as well as sustain and enhance vital programs and services that improve the health and quality of life for our children. Learn more