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Our History

Montefiore was founded in 1884 by leaders of New York’s Jewish community, who recognized the need for a care facility for patients with tuberculosis and other chronic illnesses. The hospital was named to honor Sir Moses Montefiore, a famed philanthropist of the time.

Today, Montefiore is one of the largest healthcare systems in the nation. No doubt our founders would be amazed by the dynamic medical center that covers three campuses and whose doctors not only treat but cure myriad diseases and conditions.

Yet a look at our history reveals traditions set in our earliest days that still guide our mission today.

Trail-blazing achievements

Montefiore has an extensive record of clinical achievements. Our solid commitment to medical research and its possibilities reaches back to 1890, when we were among the first to test tuberculin for the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. Montefiore developed treatments and technology that revolutionized medical care, such as the cardiac pacemaker and cardiac catherization, which are now used worldwide.

As the University Hospital and Academic Medical Center for Albert Einstein College of Medicine since 1963, our research capabilities are always growing. We take on stubborn problems and anticipate new opportunities. Montefiore responded quickly to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and contributed vital research on the transmission of the disease. Our advances with minimally invasive surgery, including the opening of the MIMIS Institute in 2001, highlight our leadership in procedures that promote greater patient safety and faster healing.

Pioneering social medicine

Community medicine has been a priority since Montefiore’s beginnings. We were among the first hospitals to establish departments of social services (1914), home health care (1947) and social medicine (1950). Our residency in social medicine, created in 1970, is a pioneering program with an unparalleled record of training physicians in urban family medicine, primary care and community health.

In recent years, Montefiore has developed a new model for community medicine-an integrated network of primary care physicians based throughout the Bronx and linked to the medical center.

To support that network, Montefiore continues to expand and grow, updating many of our facilities and adding significant new ones. In the last decade alone, we have opened two major outpatient centers, the Montefiore Medical Park on our Weiler Division and the Greene Medical Arts Pavilion at our Moses Division. Our state-of-the-art Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), opened in 2001, has quickly earned a world-class reputation for pediatric care with our successful separation of twins conjoined at the head, in 2004. The Children's Hospital at Montefiore is ranked as one of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" in US News & World Report's prestigious annual listing for 2008 and 2009.

In July 2008, Montefiore added the North Division, a 369-bed medical center located in the northeast Bronx, expanding access for all patients to the resources of Montefiore's extensive healthcare delivery system.

Proud champion of diversity

Montefiore has long recognized that diversity creates strength and promotes greater understanding of patients and their needs. We were among the first to invite women to join the staff (1914) and to welcome African-American residents (1930). Today Montefiore is proud to have staff—and patients—from every corner of the world.