Adventist Health Glendale
A nonprofit hospital campus in Glendale, California, operated by Adventist Health.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Adventist Health Glendale is a nonprofit hospital campus in Glendale, California, and a member of the Adventist Health system. The facility is located on Wilson Terrace near State Routes 2 and 134 and has roots extending to 1905, when the Seventh-day Adventist Church acquired the Glendale Hotel from real-estate developer Leslie C. Brand. The 75-room Victorian building was converted into the Glendale Sanitarium, creating a medical institution before Glendale was incorporated as a city. The hospital expanded several times during its early years. Additions and improvements were made in 1905, 1917, and 1920, but the original site eventually became too small for the institution's growing activities. A replacement medical facility opened east of the original location in 1924. The new hospital represented a major expansion for the period and was constructed at a reported cost of $1.25 million. Over subsequent decades, the institution developed from a sanitarium into a general hospital serving the Glendale community and the surrounding Los Angeles region. A significant clinical milestone occurred in 1973, when the medical center performed its first cardiac surgery. The procedure marked the institution's movement into more advanced hospital-based care and reflected the broader evolution of its services beyond its early sanitarium model. Its offerings have included acute inpatient care, emergency services, surgical treatment, cardiovascular care, and a range of diagnostic and specialty services. The hospital's historical identity has remained connected to the Adventist healthcare tradition, which combines medical treatment with a faith-based emphasis on service and community health. The facility operated for many years as Glendale Adventist Medical Center. At the end of July 2017, it adopted the name Adventist Health Glendale as part of its alignment with the wider Adventist Health brand. The renaming placed the Glendale campus within a more unified system identity while retaining its local hospital role. Community engagement is an important part of the hospital's public profile. Its activities have included participation in the Glendale Downtown Dash, the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, and the American Heart Association's Saving Strokes program. Beginning in 2015, the hospital also worked with Armenia Fund on medical mission activity connected with Noyemberyan Hospital in Armenia. The partnership supported visiting medical teams and the shipment of medical equipment, surgical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and other clinical materials. Reported work included care in internal medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, gynecology, neurology, orthopedics, and pediatrics, as well as procedures involving gallbladder disease, hernias, orthopedic conditions, maxillofacial conditions, lumps, and tumors. Adventist Health Glendale has also received external quality recognition. The hospital received an A grade from The Leapfrog Group during the period identified in the reference material, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services awarded it a five-star rating from 2020 through 2022. These ratings are point-in-time or period-specific measures rather than a complete assessment of every aspect of hospital performance. The institution's history also includes serious criminal incidents associated with individuals connected to the facility. In 1931, physician Peter Martin Keller was shot and killed at Glendale Sanitarium by a patient. Decades later, respiratory therapist Efren Saldivar, who worked at the hospital until 1998, became the subject of a major murder investigation after confessing to killing patients with muscle-paralyzing drugs and later retracting part of that confession. He was charged in six deaths, pleaded guilty, and received a life prison sentence in 2002. The Saldivar case is a criminal history associated with a former employee and should not be interpreted as describing the hospital's current operations.
History
Adventist Health Glendale traces its origins to 1905, when the Seventh-day Adventist Church purchased the Glendale Hotel from developer Leslie C. Brand. The church converted the 75-room Victorian property into Glendale Sanitarium, establishing a healthcare institution before Glendale's incorporation as a city. The early facility expanded in 1905, 1917, and 1920 as demand for its services grew. By 1922, the original site could no longer accommodate the institution. A new medical facility opened east of Glendale in 1924. The project reportedly cost $1.25 million and provided a larger setting for the hospital's continuing development. The institution became known as Glendale Sanitarium and Hospital and gradually evolved from a sanitarium into a general community hospital. The hospital's clinical scope expanded over the twentieth century. In 1973, it performed its first cardiac surgery, an important marker in the development of advanced surgical and cardiovascular services. The institution continued operating under the Adventist healthcare tradition while serving residents of Glendale and nearby communities. The facility was later known as Glendale Adventist Medical Center. In late July 2017, it changed its name to Adventist Health Glendale, bringing the campus into closer alignment with the identity of its parent Adventist Health network. The new name preserved the Glendale geographic identity while emphasizing system membership. Beyond routine hospital operations, the organization has participated in community events such as the Glendale Downtown Dash, Relay for Life, and the American Heart Association's Saving Strokes initiative. Since 2015, it has also supported medical mission work in Armenia through a partnership with Armenia Fund and Noyemberyan Hospital. The reported activities included sending medical teams, providing supplies and pharmaceuticals, and treating patients across several specialties. Reported procedures included gallbladder, hernia, orthopedic, and maxillofacial operations, along with treatment for tumors and other conditions. The hospital has received quality recognition from external organizations. The cited record identifies A grades from The Leapfrog Group beginning in spring 2015 and a five-star Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rating for 2020 through 2022. Its historical record includes two notable criminal incidents. In 1931, physician Peter Martin Keller was shot and killed by a patient at Glendale Sanitarium. Much later, former respiratory therapist Efren Saldivar became known nationally after confessing to killing patients with paralyzing drugs, although he later withdrew the broader confession. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to six murders and received a life sentence. This case concerns a former employee and is distinct from the hospital's current ownership, governance, and clinical operations.
- 2017
Hospital adopts Adventist Health Glendale name
[1]Glendale Adventist Medical Center changed its name to Adventist Health Glendale.
- 2015
Armenia medical mission partnership begins
[1]The hospital began working with Armenia Fund to support medical services at Noyemberyan Hospital.
- 1973
First cardiac surgery
[1]The medical center performed its first cardiac surgery, marking an expansion into advanced cardiovascular treatment.
- 1924
New medical facility opens
[1]A replacement facility opened east of Glendale after the original site became too small.
- 1920
Further expansion of the sanitarium
[1]Additional expansion preceded the move to a larger medical facility.
- 1917
Early facility expansion
[1]The medical institution expanded as its services and local role grew.
- 1905
Glendale Sanitarium is established
[1]The Seventh-day Adventist Church acquired the Glendale Hotel and converted the 75-room Victorian building into Glendale Sanitarium.
Products and positioning
Nonprofit community hospital with a long Glendale history, advanced hospital services, and affiliation with the Adventist Health system.
Hospital services
Acute hospital care
The hospital provides inpatient medical care for acute conditions within a nonprofit community-hospital setting. Its role includes evaluation, treatment, monitoring, and coordinated discharge or referral for patients requiring hospital-level care.
Emergency medicine
Emergency services
Emergency services provide hospital-based assessment and treatment for urgent illnesses and injuries. The offering is part of the campus's community role in Glendale and the surrounding Los Angeles area.
Cardiology and surgery · 1973
Cardiovascular and cardiac surgery services
Cardiovascular care is a longstanding part of the institution's clinical development. The medical center performed its first cardiac surgery in 1973, establishing a documented milestone in its provision of advanced cardiac treatment.
Hospital surgery
Surgical services
The hospital provides surgical treatment as part of its acute-care role. Medical mission activities associated with the organization have included gallbladder, hernia, orthopedic, and maxillofacial procedures, as well as operations involving lumps and tumors.
Community health · 2015
Community and international health outreach
Outreach includes participation in local health and fundraising events and support for international medical missions. The Armenia partnership has involved specialist care, clinical teams, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and surgical supplies for Noyemberyan Hospital.
Controversies
2002
Efren Saldivar patient murder case
Efren Saldivar, a respiratory therapist who worked at the hospital until 1998, confessed to killing patients with muscle-paralyzing drugs and later retracted the broader confession. He was charged in six deaths, pleaded guilty in 2002, and received a life prison sentence. The case involved a former employee and does not establish wrongdoing by the current hospital organization.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Armenia medical missions
Armenia · United States
Through Armenia Fund, Adventist Health Glendale supported medical missions at Noyemberyan Hospital. Activities included specialist consultations, surgery, and delivery of medical equipment and supplies.
Outcome. The cited material reports care for 5,750 patients and 235 surgeries across multiple medical specialties.
- Glendale Downtown Dash
Glendale, California
Adventist Health Glendale has participated in the annual Glendale Downtown Dash, a community event held around daylight-saving time in March.
- Relay for Life
Glendale, California
The hospital has been involved in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, supporting a community campaign focused on cancer awareness and fundraising.
- Saving Strokes
Glendale, California
The hospital has participated in the American Heart Association's Saving Strokes event or initiative as part of its community health engagement.
Brand decisions
2017
Adopt the Adventist Health Glendale identityStrategyBackground
The facility had operated under the Glendale Adventist Medical Center name while belonging to the broader Adventist healthcare organization.
Action taken
At the end of July 2017, the medical center changed its name to Adventist Health Glendale.
Aftermath
The renaming aligned the Glendale campus with the Adventist Health system while retaining its local geographic identity.
2015
Launch Armenia medical mission partnershipStrategyBackground
Noyemberyan Hospital in Armenia required support for clinical services, equipment, medicines, and surgical supplies.
Action taken
Adventist Health Glendale partnered with Armenia Fund to send medical teams and arrange shipments of equipment, pharmaceuticals, and other supplies.
Aftermath
The cited material reports thousands of patient consultations and hundreds of surgeries across medical and surgical specialties.
Sources2 sources
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