Julia Dempsey

Sister Mary Joseph, R.N. (AJN, 1925)

Julia Dempsey
Born	Julia Dempsey (1868-05-14)May 14, 1868 Byron, Minnesota, United States
Died	March 29, 1944(1944-03-29) (aged 75) Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Nationality	American
Other names	Sister Mary Joseph
Occupation	Roman Catholic nun, hospital administrator
Known for	Superintendent of Saint Marys Hospital (Rochester)

Julia Dempsey (May 14, 1868 – March 29, 1944), also known as Sister Mary Joseph, was an American Roman Catholic nun and hospital administrator. She is best known for her role as the superintendent of Saint Marys Hospital (Rochester) in Rochester, Minnesota.

Early Life

Julia Dempsey was born on May 14, 1868, in Byron, Minnesota, to Irish immigrant parents. She joined the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota in 1884, taking the religious name Sister Mary Joseph.

Career

Sister Mary Joseph began her career in healthcare as a nurse. In 1892, she was appointed the superintendent of Saint Marys Hospital (Rochester), a position she held until her death in 1944. Under her leadership, the hospital expanded significantly and became closely associated with the Mayo Clinic, which was founded by William Worrall Mayo and his sons, William James Mayo and Charles Horace Mayo.

Contributions to Medicine

Sister Mary Joseph is perhaps best known in the medical community for her identification of a clinical sign now known as Sister Mary Joseph nodule, a palpable nodule bulging into the umbilicus as a result of metastasis of a malignant cancer in the pelvis or abdomen.

Legacy

Sister Mary Joseph's contributions to healthcare and her role in the development of the Mayo Clinic have left a lasting legacy. She is remembered for her dedication to patient care and her administrative skills, which helped transform Saint Marys Hospital (Rochester) into a world-renowned medical institution.

Death

Sister Mary Joseph died on March 29, 1944, in Rochester, Minnesota. She was buried in the cemetery of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota.

See Also

• Mayo Clinic
• Saint Marys Hospital (Rochester)
• Sister Mary Joseph nodule
• Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota