Mission and History

The Hurley Mission: “Clinical Excellence. Service to People.”

The mission of Hurley Medical Center is to ensure that we are always ready when someone faces a serious injury, complex illness, or high risk condition. Today, tomorrow, and beyond, we have the dedicated, compassionate professionals, advanced technology, and state-of-the-art facilities to meet the complex health needs of our region.

Hurley’s Vision: To be “Leaders in transforming health through academic and clinical excellence, expanding access to innovative care.”

“Transforming Health” means that our job is to help Genesee County get healthy and stay that way. At Hurley, our vision is to create a healthier future for every child, adult and senior citizen. We will not only treat people when they are sick or injured and then return them to their homes, but we will find ways to help them stay in their homes living vibrant, healthy, active lives.

Our History

James J. Hurley

Hurley Medical Center was founded in 1908 by James J. Hurley with one very clear and simple mission: to provide a modern hospital for the people of Flint and Genesee County. His legacy has remained the cornerstone of Hurley Medical Center, as we have continuously offered the highest quality and leading-edge care to those we serve while ensuring that everyone has access to the very best in medical services regardless of their ability to pay.

Arriving in Flint as a penniless English immigrant, James J. Hurley worked his way up from a hotel porter to making a fortune from sawmills and soap. Remembering those early days of poverty when his wife struggled through a serious illness, Hurley donated $55,000 and land for a public hospital to the city of Flint. Hurley Hospital opened its doors on December 19, 1908 and those doors remain open to the public today.

Our Present

Today, Hurley is a 432-bed premier public teaching hospital recognized as a regional leader in advanced specialized health care. Every year, more than 20,000 people choose Hurley for their inpatient hospital care and our Emergency Department handles over 80,000 annual emergency cases.

We provide millions of dollars in uncompensated care to support the healthcare needs of the growing numbers of uninsured and underinsured in our community. As the only public hospital in the area, Hurley does not receive any tax revenues from the city or the county.

As the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and with the region’s only Burn Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and Pediatric Emergency Department, Hurley continues to honor its commitment to provide the highest level of critical care to those who need us.

As well as being a recognized leader in clinical care, Hurley Medical Center is a highly-regarded educator of tomorrow’s professionals, maintaining affiliations with Michigan State University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan-Flint, Children’s Hospital of Michigan-Detroit Medical Center, Mott Community College and Henry Ford Health System. With over 2,500 employees, Hurley is also a major contributor to local economic development and one of Genesee County’s largest and most consistent employers.

Our Future

Over the past one hundred years, much has changed, but Hurley’s standards of excellence and delivery of exceptional clinical care have not. Our advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment is state of the art, and our highly-trained, expert staff is dedicated to caring for every patient who comes through our doors with compassion and respect.

There are treatments now available at the Medical Center that James J. Hurley could never have imagined. But much more remains to be done. In these times where healthcare economics are in flux and the health status of the region is seriously poor, our vision is to expand beyond the walls of a hospital to provide the best possible care to our patients and their families before they get sick and after they leave our care. Our job is to become a partner in caring so that people can stay well, live healthier lives and, when they are sick, return to health faster and with better outcomes.

Hurley Milestones

To learn about Hurley Medical Center’s historic milestones through the years, click here.