The community only as good as its health.

A strong asset of Springfield has long been its health care facilities which today provide a patient capacity of more than 1500 beds and services of 320 physicians and surgeons and 100 dentists.

The current facilities had their start in the late 1880's when members of the Catholic Sisters of Mercy came to the city to help combat a typhoid epidemic. At the request of the community, the Sisters stayed and formed the city's first hospital, St. John's. It was first located, in 1891, at Washington Avenue and Chestnut Street but relocated at Main Avenue and Nichols Street in 1906. In 1952, the order built the present 700 bed hospital, now known as St. John's Regional Health Center, at National Avenue and Cherokee Street.

St. John's is noted nationally for its facilities and techniques for treating heart patients. Its school of nursing has trained thousands of registered nurses.

During the height of railroad operations here, the Frisco Railroad operated its own hospital for employees at Broadway Avenue and Atlantic Street. Built in 1899, it served until 1922 when it was abandoned and the services moved out of the community.