History

Sunrise Haven’s beginnings trace back to the early 1940’s when local church members founded two Christian Science care facilities, one in Seattle and one in Puyallup, WA. You can learn more about Sunrise Haven’s history from our timeline of events that led to the establishment of the modern Sunrise Haven facility:

1940-49

Hillside Haven was founded by Millicent Blankenship in Seattle in 1941 and incorporated in July 1945. In March 1949, the corporate name was changed to Seattle Sanatorium for Christian Scientists. That same year, Blankenship and other Christian Scientists in the area founded Newhaven in Puyallup, WA.

1950-59

Newhaven was incorporated in April 1951. In 1956, Seattle Sanatorium’s name was changed to Sunrise House. In 1959, Sunrise House moved from 412 29th Avenue South, Seattle, to a new building at 500 30th Avenue South, Seattle.

1960-69

In 1962, Newhaven, Inc. expanded by moving to a new building with 27 patient rooms in Puyallup. Washington state granted it a nursing home license for 50 beds. A residence for eight Christian Science nurses opened on the Puyallup property in 1964.

In the mid-sixties, many Christian Science practitioners requested that a Christian Science visiting nursing service be established. This need was met in 1966 when a Journal-listed Christian Science nurse relocated to Seattle from Pleasant View Home in Concord, NH, and was willing to visit patients in the home.

In January 1966, The Mother Church’s Department of Care accredited both Sunrise House and Newhaven.

1970-79

In April 1970, Sunrise House and Newhaven merged. The Sunrise House building was closed, and the Puyallup facility was renamed Sunrise House/Newhaven. In 1974, the territory served by the Christian Science Visiting Nurse Service was expanded to include Everett and Tacoma.

1980-89

In August 1983, Sunrise Haven became the legal name of Sunrise House/Newhaven.

1990-99

In 1992, Sunrise Haven began its own individualized training program to prepare those wishing to become Christian Science nurses. This training, based on the Manual Bylaw, “Christian Science Nurse,” prepared students to meet the requirements for listing in The Christian Science Journal.

In the mid-1990s, the Sunrise Haven Visiting Nurse Service was discontinued.

In January 1997, The Mother Church’s Department of Care transferred the responsibility for Christian Science nursing facility accreditation to The Commission for Accreditation of Nursing Organizations/Facilities for Christian Scientists, Inc. Later in 1997, the number of licensed beds at Sunrise Haven was reduced to 18. This change was in response to a Mother Church directive to focus on nursing care only and to no longer offer assisted living.

Throughout 1998-99, the Sunrise Haven Board of Trustees began to pray about the facility’s physical location and to study relocation options for relocating Sunrise Haven more centrally to Seattle. A new property was purchased in Kent, WA and the existing property was sold. Architect Bill Scott was engaged to design a new facility.

2000-09

In February 2000, construction began on the new building in Kent. Operations moved from Puyallup to two interim locations in Kent in April 2000.

On January 15, 2001, Sunrise Haven opened in its current location and was licensed by the State of Washington as a nursing home with eight beds in eight rooms.

2010-present

In 2011, The Mother Church updated the “Christian Science Nurse Scope of Services.” This document defines the parameters, or boundaries, for the ethical, moral, legal, and professional practice of Christian Science nursing at Sunrise Haven and is an integral part of Sunrise Haven’s Christian Science Nurses Training Program. Copies are available to patients, guests, and interested others.

In February 2015, Sunrise Haven’s Board of Trustees adopted a new Christian Science nurses training program from Le Verger, a Christian Science nursing facility in Rolle, Switzerland. The program provides expanded benefits to Sunrise Haven’s existing training program and is accredited by The Commission for Accreditation of Christian Science Nursing Organization/Facilities. Both programs (Sunrise Haven Skill Specific Program and Le Verger) are still used for specific training purposes.

In November 2015, new vision and mission statements were formulated by a committee of Christian Science nurses, Sunrise Haven staff and the Board of Trustees, and adopted by the organization.