Ellen and James White were instrumental in forming the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They realized from their study of Scripture that Jesus devoted a great deal of His time on Earth to healing the sick and helping those in need. In fact, He seemingly sought out people experiencing hardships, offering them a new and better life. The members of the young church wanted to pattern a first-class institution after these principles — caring for the whole person: mind, body and spirit. Thus, in  1866, the first Adventist health care facility, named the Western Health Reform Institute, opened in Battle Creek, Michigan.

At the young age of nine years old, Ellen White had sustained a traumatic injury when she was hit in the head with a stone. Although it seemed like a curse at the time, the situation led her to find comfort and faith in Jesus. In December of 1844, Ellen would have her first of many visions. She would go on to share the news of those visions in her many publications available today.

After marrying James White in 1846, they made their way to Battle Creek, Michigan,  which became the home of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. It was in 1860 when the scattered congregations would finally come together in that Battle Creek community and offically call themselves Seventh-day Adventists.

The Smithsonian magazine named Ellen White among the 100 Most Significant Americans in history, acknowledging her vast influence on religion. She is considered the most published female writer in history, writing more than 5,000 articles and 40 books on health, relationships and faith in God. These publications have been translated into more than 80 languages.

In the late 1800s, few understood the health impact of poor sanitation. Each day on the streets of New York, horses deposited 2.5 million pounds of manure along with 60,000 gallons of urine. This uncollected waste polluted the water. All of the industrial pollution and a lack of underground sewers made living in large cities a health hazard. Early Adventist health-advocate Ellen White preached of these dangers — urging people to move out of the cities.