110 years of care at the service of life
From our first steps as a Casa de Saúde, in 1916, until we became a national reference, the commitment that guides us remains the same: caring for each life with humanity, integrity and excellence.
We are Dona
Our story began in 1916, with a group of volunteers from Joinville led by Helena Trinks Lepper. More than a century later, we are a national reference in health — but the care and commitment to the service of life have persisted over time, since when we were a Nursing Home.
The Dona way of being is the essence that sustains our quality on this journey: we value life, we promote humanized care, we act with integrity in our relationships and combine innovation and tradition with care excellence. These values guide the hospital’s daily operations, ensuring safety and satisfaction for patients.
Our story begins in November 1916, with the founding of the Evangelical Ladies’ Relief Society by Helena Trinks Lepper. Created as an elderly care home and kindergarten, the institution took its first steps in the health sector through the initiative of Dr. Norberto Bachmann, who brought the first patient for care — marking the transition to hospital activity.
With the aim of becoming a reference in healthcare in the south of the country, the hospital implemented the Master Plan in 1989. Important physical expansion works began, the modernization of equipment and the improvement of the clinical staff.
The hospital expands its humanized and innovative operations with the creation of the Hospirrisos – Agentes da Alegria group (2006) and the implementation of SESMT (2007). Highlights include the first kidney transplant, the adoption of electronic medical records and the construction of the Clinical Center, in addition to the acquisition of advanced diagnostic equipment. The Assisted Reproduction Service, the Neurological Diagnosis Support Service, the Social Assistance Program and the Occupational Health Service are inaugurated. The new logo was implemented in 2008 and, due to its quality-oriented performance, the hospital underwent three ISO 9001 recertifications (2002, 2005 and 2008).
Dona Helena is consolidated, for the fifth consecutive year since 2022, among the 100 Best Hospitals in Brazil by Newsweek magazine. Advances in technological processes with the acquisition of the Da Vinci Xi robot in 2024, which surpasses the mark of 200 robotic surgeries in 2025, in addition to the inauguration of InovaDona, an institutional innovation center. The period is also marked by achievements in sustainability: in 2022, it receives the silver seal in Carbon Footprint from the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program and the Social Responsibility Certificate from ALESC, in addition to applying the Great Place to Work methodology. Starts strategic partnerships with FAPESC, expands external clinics, expands the ICU and the oncology sector, and strengthens the patient experience with social inclusion initiatives, such as the Entre&Laços program.
A story that continues with each service
Learn more about Hospital Dona Helena’s commitment to life, innovation and the community that we have helped care for for 110 years.