Penny's Maternity Story

Local business owner has strong ties to The Birthplace

Penny Murphy, Maternity Patient, St. Mary's Medical Center

Over 100 years ago, Penny Murphy’s grandfather came to the U.S. as an Austrian immigrant and started a small hardware store in Lake Worth. Since then, the business has grown into a widely recognized home furnishings store, Pioneer Linens, now located in downtown West Palm Beach. Penny decided to join her father in managing the family business in the mid-1990s.

With deep roots in Palm Beach County, Penny’s family was very familiar with local staples in the community such as St. Mary’s Medical Center. Founded in the early 20^th century, St. Mary’s served as one of the area’s first hospitals to provide quality medical treatment. In fact, Penny herself was born there over 65 years ago. Then when she was pregnant with her own children (first a son followed by two daughters), she decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps and entrust St. Mary’s with her maternity care.

“I was born before the hospital had an air conditioning system installed, and the nuns who founded St. Mary’s were still the administrators,” Penny shares. “Although my mother had a wonderful experience there, I’m fortunate that when I delivered my children, the hospital had incorporated additional comforts to enhance patient care even more.”

When her son, Alan Jr., was born, she was impressed with the newly opened Birthplace Suites, which were designed to provide a more comfortable delivery and hospital stay. Penny was also grateful for a medical team that helped ease her nerves as she prepared for her first childbirth experience.

Over three decades later, her children are now healthy adults, who decided to join their mother at Pioneer Linens and help carry on the family’s legacy. Alan works in business development to expand the store’s reach, Marissa is charged with maintaining their webpages and social media, and Camille works with the buying team to help maintain the quality the store is known for.

“My family has had two generations of babies born at St. Mary’s Medical Center so far, and I feel lucky to have such high-quality care in our own backyard,” Penny expresses. “A hospital with such a rich history and award-winning services is truly a beneficial resource that will continue to positively impact the community for years to come.”