In July 1900, on orders of William Howard Taft, Head of the Second Philippine Commission, Dean Conant Worcester with three other companions set forth to discover a cold place up in the Cordillera... Baguio, the mountain paradise.

An excellent vacation and recuperation center for government officials, employees and American soldiers, Baguio saw the establishment of a 15 bed hospital located at the site of the former Pines hotel in 1902 under Dr. H. Eugene Stafford.  The rise of the Baguio Sanatorium heralded the beginning of a long history of what is to become the Baguio General Hospital & Medical Center.

After being renamed Baguio Hospital in 1907, expansion proceeded in the construction of a Nurse’s Home and six 3-room cottages for Tuberculosis patients.

In 1915, Dr. Silverio Garcia became the very first Filipino to assume hospital directorship. The hospital was turned over to the Bureau of Health.  Several  other Filipinos then took turns in handling the reins of the hospital.

In 1937, with Dr. F. Esquivel as Director and Miss I. Francia as Chief Nurse, the name of the hospital was again changed to Baguio General Hospital.  It was this year when construction of the main hospital building, promised earlier in 1930 by Pres. Manuel Quezon, started.  It took 4 years after that cornerstone laying ceremonies by then Vice President Sergio Osmeña before the building was finally inaugurated on February 22, 1941.

During the latter part of the second world war, hospital operations transferred to the St. Louis High School building behind the Cathedral after the Japanese forces  commandeered the hospital building.  In April 1945, the hospital closed due to heavy artillery fire and carpet bombardment.  After the liberation in May 1945, the hospital was re-opened at Paules Frates, La Salle Compound in Legarda St., as the main hospital building had been severely damaged.

The main hospital building was reconstructed with the aid of the Americans and the hospital was able to operate at the main building in 1948.  The 35 bed Contagious Disease Pavilion further expanded hospital services in 1952.  In 1955, the first BGH Advisory Board Officers were

inducted with Mrs. Ethel Herold as the Chairman of the Board.  The Board was conceived to help in improving operations as well as to act as liaison between the hospital and the community. In 1958, BGH, was designed as one of the 11 training hospitals in the Philippines.  Training programs of the different departments began to take shape.

Building construction and establishment of new services continued for the next 3 decades. School of Nursing Bldg., OR complex, OPD bldg., and bunkhouse in 1962, Alumni Bldg. in 1963.  In 1966, the Psychiatry, Physiotherapy & Brace Shop and Cancer Detection Clinic.  It was in 1970 when the BGH was converted into a Medical Center and expansion continue unabated.  A chapel in 1972, Family Planning Bldg., Coronary Care Unit in 1973. ER annex and CobaltTherapy Bldg. in 1977, X-ray annex   in 1978, Under Six and Administration Bldg. In 1979,

Orthopedics & Traumatology in 1981.  The Administration Bldg. Was burned in 1985 and was rehabilitated in 1987.
The 90’s was ushered in by the killer quake on July 16, 1990. The earthquake damaged and caused the demolition of several hospital buildings.  14 other structures, including the main building, needed major repairs.  Another disaster struck a year later during typhoon when a landslide damaged and flooded parts of the main building.

In 1992 BGHMC was the first in Asia to be awarded as the Mother and Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (MBFHI) by the United nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) of which the breastfeeding program of the hospital became the prototype of the UNICEF.  It was on May 26, 1995 that the Under Five Clinic of BGHMC was awarded National Wellness Award for Excellence by DOH Center for Wellness Program and GAWAD PAGASA on October 1, 2002 during the Civil Service Commission 102nd Anniversary.

The hospital continues to expand in terms of physical structures
and services.  On September 17,2007, the first floor of the Flavier
Building was occupied by the:
- Emergency Room Department
- Ultrasound Area of the Radiology Department
- Laboratory
- Admitting Unit
- Cashier; and the
- Pharmacy

The 2nd phase of transfer of services at the Flavier Building was done on October 8, 2008 of which the -
-2nd floor was occupied by the Pediatric Department
-while the 3rd floor was assigned by the Internal Medicine
-including the Pay Consultation Offices

It was on the last week of March 2007, when the operation of the Psychiatry
Department was transferred to the new Psychiatry Building. Public comfort rooms
at the Flavier Building were made available on  the 2nd quarter of 2008. 
Renovation of the old main building was completed on the first floor of the:
- OB Minor Operating Room Complex 
- Surgical Ward (left
- Labor Room  and right wings)
- Recovery Room

-  Pediatric Surgical Ward
- Charity Wards

-Ophthalmology Ward
- PhilHealth Wards
- Pay Wards:  including the comfort rooms of these areas.

The new Infectious Disease Building that was inaugurated on March 16,
2009 houses the OPD of the Psychiatry Department and the Drug
Rehabilitation Unit.

It is the objective of the hospital to value the time of the patients/clients
through the provision of a “one stop shop”, hence the old ER will be renovated
to house the support services such as the:
- Cashier
- Billing/Philhealth; and
- Medical Records

Sub-specialty services are already being offered and all training programs are
accredited by respective specialty societies.  The Post Graduate  Training Program 
(Nurse Fellow) for licensed nurses was instituted  in 2004 and still on going. 
It was approved for 500 bed capacity through R.A 8634 of 1998 but
due to manpower deficiencies the actual implementing is 400.