After years of thoughtful planning, AdventHealth Avista is proud to unveil its new History Wall, the institution leaders recently shared. The History Wall “is a stunning tribute to our hospital’s rich legacy and enduring commitment to whole-person care,” they said. “Located in a prominent space for visitors, patients, and team members, the wall brings our story to life through powerful artifacts and inspiring milestones” of the Seventh-day Adventist health-care institution based in Louisville, Colorado, United States.
A Gift of Gratitude
Funded by generous donors, the History Wall reflects their unwavering dedication to enriching our hospital and honoring the past, leaders added. “We are deeply grateful for their support in making this vision a reality,” they said.
The wall features a curated collection of historical items, including the U.S. flag flown during the Marshall Fire in December 2021, symbolizing resilience and unity. It also features pharmaceutical vials once used as common remedies at the Boulder Sanitarium, a Hayes oxygen therapy gas analyzer used in the early 1900s to monitor blood gas levels, and an original registrar patient log from 1904, along with vintage patient menu cards.
Focused on History and Whole-Person Care
The text on the History Wall reads, “In 1893, under the direction of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the Boulder Sanitarium was established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Located at the foot of Mount Sanitas, the sanitarium promoted exercise and fresh mountain air for its patients. In 1962, to better serve the community, the sanitarium was rebuilt and renamed Boulder Memorial Hospital. In response to growing health-care demand, AdventHealth Avista opened in Louisville in 1990, continuing its mission of whole-person healing.”
According to hospital leaders, the gold rush of 1858 and 1859 drew thousands of fortune-seekers to Colorado, but the real population boom occurred several decades later with the influx of tuberculosis (TB) patients known as “lungers.” By the 1920s more than half of Denver’s population had been admitted to TB treatment facilities. The Boulder Sanitarium became a renowned hub for TB patients, offering wholistic care that emphasized healing both body and mind through fresh air, rest, exercise, spirituality, community, and a healthy diet.
At a time when medical treatments were primitive, Seventh-day Adventists pioneered a health approach using nature’s remedies and lifestyle changes to combat disease and promote vitality.
Founder Kellogg championed a healthy diet, serving patients vegetarian, plant-based meals and banning harmful substances such as tobacco and alcohol from the campus. His signature foods, including cornflakes, granola, and peanut butter, were available at the Boulder Sanitarium Food Company on the hospital grounds.
Today the benefits of a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and grains are well-known for reducing chronic disease risks. Seventh-day Adventists were early advocates of this diet, recognizing its advantages long before it became popular.
Faith and Community
AdventHealth Avista leaders explained that the institution focus on faith calls them “to honor the dignity of every person, seeing each one as deserving of kindness and unconditional love.” They added, “Since our earliest days at the sanitarium, we’ve emphasized the vital connection between body, mind, and spirit in our approach to health care. This desire to relieve suffering and heal the whole person has always defined Adventist health care,” they said. Today Seventh-day Adventists operate the largest Protestant health-care system in the world.
Leaders also highlighted the institution’s community impact. “We’ve supported our community in significant moments—delivering more than 60,000 babies, restoring health, and inspiring hope. During the Marshall Fire in December 2021, our team worked diligently to evacuate patients and quickly reopen our doors to continue caring for those in need. We have cared for patients throughout multiple global pandemics and have grown in capacity and service lines to meet the health-care needs of our community,” they reported.
Present and Future
The AdventHealth Avista staff is honored to serve people with a comprehensive range of health-care services focused on the community. “Our team has been focused on providing comprehensive care to our patients through every stage of life,” they explained. AdventHealth Avista’s spine program continues to offer state-of-the-art technology to patients, resulting in fast recovery times and better outcomes. The New Life Birth Center continues to be a premiere birthing destination for mothers-to-be in our community.
“We are proud to have a Level III neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) to care for premature babies and newborns who need extra care. You and your loved ones can rely on our award-winning care,” hospital leaders said. “Guided by our mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ, AdventHealth Avista has been a pillar of support to the Louisville, Boulder, and surrounding communities for more than a century. As we look to the future, we are committed to growing alongside our community, filled with optimism for the exciting developments on the horizon.”
The original version of this story was posted on the AdventHealth news site.
