A Century of Caring for the Community
Our founders, the Village Improvement Association (VIA) of Doylestown, began their work in 1895. Their earliest efforts included fundraising to purchase a sprinkler truck to dampen the dusty roads, among other public health initiatives such as hygiene and sanitation. Like other progressive women’s groups of the time, the members of the VIA could not legally vote, yet their collective action ignited a spark of positive change.
In 1923, the VIA established Doylestown Hospital in its first location at Pine and Oakland Streets in Doylestown. Population growth and new demands necessitated a move to Belmont Avenue in 1939. Doylestown Hospital continued to evolve and so did the needs of the community. Since the dedication of the hospital in its current location on State Street in 1975, Doylestown Hospital is the flagship of Doylestown Health, a comprehensive network of care.
We invite you to learn more about our history and milestones.
1895-1923 | A Bold Idea to Improve Community Health is Born




Nurse Norma Munsey of Salem Massachusetts, age 28, arrives in Doylestown and begins work for the VIA. She became well-known as she traveled by bicycle to house calls.
Nurse Munsey and temporary assistants make 741 house calls in one month in response to the Spanish Flu pandemic. The VIA Visiting Nurse Program makes a huge difference in the pandemic mortality rate. Doylestown deaths from the Spanish Flu are only 1/3 of those in nearby Perkasie.







1923–1939 | Doylestown Emergency Hospital:
An Auspicious Beginning
October 9 – Dedication service for the new Doylestown Emergency hospital takes place and is equipped with 8 beds and staffed with two nurses.








