Our History Holyoke Medical Center originally opened its doors in 1893 as Holyoke City Hospital. Former Congressman and Mayor, William Whiting, led a group to make a non-sectarian Hospital in Holyoke a reality. In 1927 the name of the hospital was changed to Holyoke Hospital, to better clarify that the institution was not a municipality. The name was changed once more in 2003 to Holyoke Medical Center. Our Size What started as a 40-bed hospital in 1893 has grown to be a 219-bed facility with over 1,300 employees. Each year Holyoke Medical Center admits more than 7,500 patients, while the Emergency Department currently experiences an annual volume of more than 45,000 visits. Service Area HMC serves an aggregate population of 180,000 in cities and towns which include Holyoke, Chicopee, South Hadley, Granby, Easthampton, Southampton, West Springfield and Belchertown.