Dr. Charles Gritman purchased the McGregor House Hotel, located at Seventh and Main streets in Moscow, and converted it into his hospital. He cared for patients at Moscow’s first hospital with his staff, and with his famous horse carriage, which he used to make rural house calls.
The Gritman story dates back to the turn of the 20th century. Dr. Charles Gritman first arrived in Moscow in 1893 and he immediately began providing dedicated care by horse and buggy to people throughout the community. Four years later, the original Gritman Hospital opened in the former McGregor House Hotel at the corner of Seventh and Main streets. The hospital would go on to set the bar for exemplary health care services on the Palouse.
Dr. Gritman practiced medicine in the region surrounding Moscow for 41 years until his death in 1933, traveling through town and to remote farms both on horseback, via horse and buggy and eventually via car—in addition to his practice at Gritman Hospital.
Following Dr. Gritman’s death, Mrs. Bertie Gritman, his wife and a hospital nurse, gave the hospital to the community under the condition that it always bear Dr. Gritman’s name. Led by his example, our organization has continued to uphold the Gritman values over the past 125 years, setting in motion a vision that has advanced the health and wellness of people throughout the region.
Through generations of service to the community, our name changed from Gritman Memorial Hospital to Gritman Medical Center in 1991 to better represent our growing breadth of hospital services. While the original building is no longer in use, that first hospital gave way to the existing campus that originally opened in 1940 and has expanded many times over the years—most recently to include our main patient care wing that opened in 2004 and our newest Medical Office Building in 2017, directly across the street from the hospital.
An expanded Gritman hospital and clinic network also includes primary and specialty clinics throughout Moscow, Potlatch, Kendrick and Troy, all while staying true to Dr. Gritman’s roots of providing exceptional care that’s close to home.
Today our facilities, nurses, providers and staff represent a vital presence in the community. As our region has grown, Gritman has adapted with advanced technology and modern treatments to meet the rapidly changing health care landscape while maintaining a high bar for compassionate care. True to the spirit of our founder—Gritman remains committed to making the region a vibrant, healthy place to live and work-today, and for generations to come.
Learn More About Our ServicesCelebrating 125 years is as much about the years to come as it is about our rich history. We gathered community stakeholders at the start of 2022 for a COVID-safe Community Open House to show what’s in store for the Gritman System and how we are building the next generation of patient care. We’re growing our surgery programs, developing patient care services, building staff engagement, and working toward a new integrated electronic medical records system. We’re excited about a bright future as our region’s nonprofit, independent and community-led hospital and health care system.
