Whether you’re a patient or a visitor, we want you to feel welcome. Enjoy our onsite amenities, including:
River Grille Cafe
The River Grille Café is our cafeteria on the lower level across from the main elevator. Dine on site for breakfast, lunch, or dinner seven days a week.
Cafeteria Hours
Breakfast 6:45 – 10:30 am daily
Lunch 11 am – 1:30 pm daily
Dinner 4:30 – 6:30 pm daily
Grab-and-go items 1:30 – 7 pm daily
Gift Shop
Pick up fresh flowers, plants, foil balloons, greeting cards, books, candy, toys, jewelry, and more in the gift shop. You’ll find the gift shop in the lobby of St Joseph’s Medical Center. All gift shop proceeds go to the St. Joseph’s Medical Center Auxiliary, which supports patient and staff programs and services.
Order items by phone and have us deliver them to a patient in our hospital. Call 218-828-7359 to place your order.
Gift Shop Hours
Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday: 10:30 am – 4 pm
Sunday: 10 am – 4 pm
Onsite Chapel
Visit our chapel on the main floor of St. Joseph’s Medical Center. People of all faiths are welcome to enjoy this tranquil, healing space for meditation and prayer. Learn more about spiritual care at Essentia Health.
Guest Wi-Fi
Take advantage of free guest Wi-Fi.
ATM
Need cash? Look for an ATM by the emergency room.
Help make a difference in the lives of patients, visitors, and staff at St. Joseph’s Medical Center. You don’t need experience to join our family of volunteers. We’ll work with you to find an area that fits your schedule, talents, and interests.
Volunteer Opportunities
Explore volunteer opportunities at our hospital, including:
- Help desk (Greet guests and answer questions.)
- Gift shop
- Popping popcorn in cafeteria
- Escorting patients or concierge
- Mailings and special office projects
- Piano playing
- Patient advocate (Ask what patients need to make their stay more comfortable.)
- Department specific help (Cancer Center, endoscopy, Joint Trails Unit, radiation therapy)
- Comfort cart (Hand out items like magazines, earbuds, lip balm, and eye masks.)
- Quilt making, book bag assembly
- And more (Just inquire!)
Benefits of Volunteering
Besides the great feeling you’ll get by helping others, you can also take advantage of:
- Free meal (up to $6) in cafeteria with four-hour shift
- Gift shop discount
- Free flu shot
- Orientation and training
- Discounted movie tickets for sale in HR department
- Special recognition events
- Awards for first 100 hours and every 500 hours after that
Become a Volunteer
Learn more or apply to volunteer by calling 218-828-7610. Or, download our volunteer application [PDF]. You must be age 14 or older to volunteer.
St. Joseph’s Medical Center Auxiliary
The St. Joseph’s Medical Center Auxiliary helps raise money to fund special projects. These projects improve patient care and comfort and provide scholarships to promising nursing students. To learn more about how you can get involved in fundraising efforts, call 218-828-7610.
Meet the leaders of St. Joseph’s Medical Center.
Management
- Adam Rees, President
- Mike Larson, Vice President, Operations
- Peter Henry, MD, Chief Medical Officer
- Pat DeLong, Chief Nursing Officer
- David Pilot, Vice President, Finance
Board of Directors
- Chuck Albrecht, Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union, Board Chair
- James Kraft, Frandsen Bank & Trust, Board Vice-Chair
- Kathy Gaalswyk, Secretary and Treasurer
- Dianne Kendall, MD, Essentia Health St. Joseph's-Laboratory, Chief of Staff
- Jennifer Mahling-Stadum, MD, Essentia Health St. Joseph's-Family Medicine
- Mark Ronnei, Grand View Lodge
- Krista Soukup, Blue Cottage Agency
- Sister Luella Wegscheid, College of St. Scholastica Monastery
- Sister Danile Lynch, Benedictine Sisters Benevolent Association
- Nate Laposky, MD, Essentia Health St. Joseph’s-Emergency Medicine
- Hara Charlier, Central Lakes College
St. Joseph’s Medical Center has served the Brainerd Lakes area for more than a hundred years. We continue to further the health care mission of the Benedictine Sisters. This includes providing a wide range of services with special concern for the poor and powerless.
History Timeline
1890 | Dr. James Leaworthy Camp opens a 12-bed hospital on the east bank of the Mississippi River in Brainerd to treat injured or ill lumberjacks.
1897 | Dr. Camp asks the Diocese of Duluth to send a few Benedictine Sisters to Brainerd to manage the Camp Hospital.
1901 | Dr. Camp sells the Camp Hospital to the sisters, who rename it St. Joseph’s Hospital. Owning the hospital allows the Benedictine Sisters to fulfill the commission of St. Benedict: “To serve the sick as if they are Christ.”
1902 | The Benedictine Sisters build a new 35-bed hospital.
1922 | A two-story wing is constructed, adding 10 private rooms.
1931 | St. Joseph’s is admitted to the American Hospital Association.
1953 | The new St. Joseph’s Hospital opens.
1955 | St. Joseph’s is accredited by the Joint Commission and its auxiliary is incorporated.
1957 | The hospital’s 2nd floor is remodeled, providing classrooms and other facilities for LPN students.
1971 | St. Joseph’s opens the area’s first Intensive Coronary Care Unit.
1977 | St. Joseph’s expands, adding space for emergency and rehabilitation services and a medical records department.
1983 | The hospital is renamed St. Joseph’s Medical Center.
1984 | The hospital’s north tower is built, adding more space for patient rooms. The Focus Unit opens, offering chemical dependency services.
1985 | St. Joseph’s Medical Center joins the Benedictine Health System.
1989 | St. Joseph’s opens its Family Birthplace, offering a family-centered birth experience.
2004 | Essentia Health is formed as the governance body for the Benedictine Health System.
2005 | A $28-million, 116,000-square-foot expansion and renovation boosts capacity to St. Joseph’s intensive- and progressive-care units.
2007 | St. Joseph’s partners with Brainerd Medical Center to create the nonprofit Brainerd Lakes Integrated Health System.
2010 | Essentia Health fully integrates its health systems to create efficiencies and reduce health care costs.
