Light is inspiration. Knowledge. Growth. Hope. Life. During MeritCare's centennial celebration, we will reflect on the past 100 years – a century of caring – and will look forward to an even brighter future. To help us honor our past and anticipate our future, our centennial theme is "Lighting the Way."
From the flame of a nurse's lamp flickering at a patient's bedside or a careful surgery performed under skylight of the olden days to the spark of innovation and new technology and hearts set afire today, light is an important symbol for MeritCare. It evokes warmth, trust, confidence, pride and excitement – the very elements we hope to highlight throughout our centennial.
MeritCare Centennial Book
Re-live MeritCare history through personal stories, remembrances and photos in a 200-page book, "Lighting the Way." The book is available with a contribution of $15 to the MeritCare Endowment Fund.
Please complete and submit the order form 
.
November: Proud to Serve… Reaching Out in Times of Crisis
MeritCare and our employees respond when the community's in need. Our nurse cadets served in World War II. Our cafeteria became an emergency ward after the 1957 tornado. Our employees filled 180,000 sandbags during the 1997 flood. No matter what concern our region faces, we face it together. MeritCare stands by your side as a community partner. Our commitment to be a good neighbor goes hand in hand with our mission to improve your health and quality of life.
Our Centennial theme for September was celebrating our associates. Dr. Roger L. Gilbertson, M.D., President, Chief Executive Officer, prepared this special message:
"During our Centennial year, I am constantly reminded of the many spirited, gifted and caring people that have led the way for the past 100 years and are still lighting the way today. In our fast-paced environment, it's sometimes easy to overlook the importance of a heartfelt thank you or meaningful acknowledgment for a job well done. Someone once said, ‘We are so often caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet on the way'. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling, don't overlook it.
Associate Appreciation Week is a time to be intentional about celebrating one another — the people in our work teams and the associates we work with throughout MeritCare. Please take this special opportunity to renew relationships within and across work groups, to say thank you and to recognize one another for the unique contributions that make MeritCare a great place to work and the best place to receive care. I appreciate and thank all of you for what you bring to MeritCare and to our patients every day."
Digital Story-telling
We've captured stories that reflect our rich history… the sights and sounds of Founders' Day on Feb. 28, 2008 and the images and history of nursing uniforms. View all three slide show presentations:
- 100 Years: Looking Back and Looking Forward
- The Founders' Day Ceremony
- The Evolution of Nursing Uniforms
MeritCare Centennial Celebration of St. Luke's School of Nursing
In early 1908, Sisters Osa Oppedahl, Sina Howland, and Grace Hagen answered the call to open the hospital and provide supervision and training for nurses. This was the beginning of what would become St. Luke's School of Nursing. Read more about the MeritCare Centennial Celebration of St. Luke's School of Nursing.
Centennial Historic Display
Step back in time to the early 1900s when St. Luke's Hospital opened in downtown Fargo by touring the MeritCare Centennial Historic Display.
Centennial TV Commercial
To help commemorate our Centennial, MeritCare is creating a series of 30 second TV advertisements. The spots honor those that came before us. They also thank our patients, their families, our doctors and staff and spark the imagination of the future.
Celebrating Our Roots
MeritCare Health System has a long and storied history of providing comfort and care to the people of our region. And while we now serve almost two million people a year at our locations across the region, the story of MeritCare actually began in a small doctor's office above a drugstore in downtown Fargo, 1905.