The history of Gimbie Adventist Health Science College is very much related to the Adventist Mission Works in the West Ethiopia provinces. Adventist Mission began to operate in Western Ethiopia under the name “Wollega Mission” in 1925. First the Mission established a station at Domi, about 70 kms to west of Gimbie, around present day Gulliso.
The Mission could not continue with Domi because that area was infested with malaria and water for all purposes was not easily accessible. There were no grounds on which they could find medication or treatment pf any kind. One of the crew members was died because of the same reason, malaria.
Thus, two years later, in 1927, the Wollega Mission was evacuated from its Domi Station and returned back to Gimbie.
In Gimbie, the Wollega Mission was welcomed by the governor of Gimbie, Dejiazmach Habte Mariam Gebre Egziabher, a progressive minded, the descendants of Moroda of Leqa Neqemte.
In Gimbie, the Adventist Mission wanted to secure land, from the local governor and the governor wanted clinic and school, both for his community benefits. At last, the governor agreed to grant vast land. The Mission also agreed to build health care center and school as early as 1927.
This is the beginning of Adventist Health Service in Western Ethiopia. The clinic was the first in the regions surrounding Gimbie, and it was the first health institution to provide the first anti malaria and typhoid treatments, these two cases, during malaria and typhoid out breaks mass death was very common, but after the establishment of the clinic, no more mass death, malaria and other prevailing diseases have been treated. And clinical delivery was possible, which directly reduced maternal and infant deaths.
In the early 1920s and 1930s Adventist Mission in Ethiopia have planted four major hospitals: namely Debra tabor Adventist Hospital in Gondor, Desse Adventist Hospital in Wollo, Zewuditu Adventist Hospital in Finfine and Gimbie Adventist Hospital in Wollega.
Except Gimbie Adventist Hospital, the three hospitals were nationalized by the Derg regime. Exception for Gimbie Adventist Hospital was that it was established by the community for the community, and protected by the community, that means when the government planned to confiscate the hospital, the community opposed the government defending the Hospital.

The clinic was successfully operated by the Mission until the Italian invasion of the country in 1936. After the Italian takeover, the missionaries were returned home, leaving behind the institutions they have built and the community they have been serving. Following their return, the church, the school and the clinic buildings were forced to turn to Italian military comps. And no more health care services in Gimbie and in the surrounding region.
With the end of the Second World War, once again, the Seventh day Adventist Institutions were reopened in 1945 with Italy defeated in the war. The Adventist health care services no more run at clinic level, but at hospital level.
In 1945 with the Missionaries arrived from the United States, Gimbie Adventist Hospital was established, with Dr. Cloud Steen, its medical director. The establishment of the Hospital, during those early years was a great blessing to the surrounding community. Even several towns, at the vicinity of Finfinne, were not lucky to have such hospital.
Coming back to the point in focus, for long years demands were coming from the community and government bodies to Gimbie Adventist Hospital leadership for the establishment of Nursing School to train young people from the community for the community.
In respond to the demands of the concerned bodies, Gimbie Adventist Hospital Board voted to launch class room building for the Nursing College in 2005. The newly built class rooms were furnished with equipment and teaching materials and required elements and secured license and became ready to admit students for the long-waited training.
The college was called Nursing College. First it admitted students in nursing department only. After two years, the college opened the second department in midwifery. Again, after two years, Medical laboratory and then pharmacy departments have been added. Now, the college is training students in four departments namely: nursing, midwifery, medical lab., and pharmacy in TVET program, levels III & IV.
Still, recommendations from the stake holders and the community at large have come up with more demands to promote the college to a degree program. The demands were coming continuedly to the college leaders.
The college leaders took the case to the College Board attention. Then college Board had made certain assessments, and with out taking long time voted to upgrade the existing TVET program college to a degree program in the four programs, mentioned above.
Fund targeted projects have been designed and the Korean BMW agreed to raise 50,000,000 Birr for class room building. BMW also agreed to supply equipment and teaching materials.
Besides this, the Seventh Day Adventist Churches: Western Ethiopia Union Mission and East Central Africa Division will contribute the rest including human resource developments.