Christian Hospital

Christian Hospital was established in 1918 after the city-owned Jackson Memorial Hospital refused to treat the black maid of Mrs. Bonnie M. Busch…Mrs. Busch donated thousands of dollars and five acres of land at 1218 N.W. 1st Place to start a hospital that would continue to serve the African-American residents of Miami and the Overtown community until it closed in 1982.

“At its start, Christian Hospital was a makeshift 12-bed facility that could do little more than treat minor illnesses. After suffering damage in a 1935 hurricane, the hospital was rebuilt into a 30-bed facility. With the community growing, plans were made and funding was secured for a larger, more advanced facility. The new Christian Hospital opened in 1959 at 4700 N.W. 32nd Avenue with modern medical equipment and services, 50 beds, and a staff of 150, including 80 physicians.