Bnai Zion Medical Center

The Bnai Zion Medical Center was established in 1922 as the first Jewish-founded district general hospital in Haifa, the center offers medical care, education, research and services to the diverse and growing population of northern Israel. In a recent survey in a national newspaper, the Bnai Zion medical center was voted the first hospital in the Haifa region of Israel. Immediately after Oct 7th 2023, following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Bnai Zion Medical Center CEO and former Chief Medical Officer of the Israeli Navy, Dr. Ohad Hochman, opened the only Soldier Rehabilitation hospital department in the North of Israel in response to emergent medical needs.

General data
The Bnai Zion medical center is a municipal public hospital with 450 beds. Attention is given to rehabilitation services that include: orthopedic, neurological, cardiological, physical and occupational therapy. It provides the area of northern Israel with a comprehensive rehabilitation program. The center has an average of 142,000 visits per year and the emergency department receives 65,000 visits. In the center, 14,000 surgical procedures are performed per year. There are 3,500 births per year. The center has a workforce of 1,800 employees. In 2022, Bnai Zion established a specialized a established medical center capable of handling the potential medical sequelae of atomic, chemical and biological warfare. In 2023, an integrative medicine treatment clinic was established at the Bnai Zion Medical Center for the purpose of providing a response to hospital employees exposed (directly or indirectly) to the wounded and patients expressing trauma, including symptoms of acute stress disorder, as a result of war and terrorism. It is the only medical center in the region with a fortified facility capable of withstanding nuclear, biological and chemical attacks, as well as earthquakes and natural disasters. The hospital was founded in 1922, and later expanded with support from the Rothschild family.

History
Founded in 1922 by the Hadassa Organization, the hospital was initially known as the Hadassa Hospital in Haifa. By 1930, the Jewish community in Haifa became a managerial partner, leading to the transformation of the institution into the Hadassa Municipal Hospital. The newly formed executive committee, consisting of two representatives from the Hadassah Medical Association, two from the community, and a neutral representative, determined that the hospital would focus on two main departments: maternity and surgical. In 1930, the hospital's bed capacity increased to 58 due to Haifa's growing population. However, budget constraints led to a reduction to 46 beds in 1936. In 1932, Dr. Daniel (Fritz) Feizer became the hospital director and director of the surgical department, which operated throughout the entire Haifa area. The hospital faced challenges meeting the demands of a rapidly growing local community, prompting calls for government financial participation. Pivotal donations to facilitate expansion were received from Baroness Ada de Rothschild (Baron de Rothschild's wife).

Between 1943 and 1948, Dr. Baruch Gali, the first pathologist in Haifa, managed the pathological institute, and pioneered several breakthroughs in pathology. In 1944, Dr. Raphael Moshe Hefetz established and led an institution for 14 years. In 1949, the Jewish community committee transferred hospital ownership to the Haifa municipality. In 1957, Prof. Julius Kaliberg became the research director, and 1958 saw the opening of a new wing, adding 108 beds to the existing 170 for adults and 40 for infants. A department for chronic patients opened in August 1961, and in October 1963, a new wing with two additional floors was added. In 1966, the Israeli government decided to finance all municipal hospitals, leading to the hospital's funding by the Ministry of Health. Ownership transferred to the government in 1975. Overcrowding in 1973 prompted plans for a new wing (designed by architect Emmanuel Kaner), completed in 1982. In 1987, with a financial donation from the Order of Bnei Zion, construction began on the 11-story western wing, leading to the hospital's renaming to Bnei Zion Hospital. Construction continued, and in the years 2001-2019, Dr. Amnon Rufa served as the head of the medical center, overseeing a period of expansion and upgrading.

Emergencies
In times of national emergency, the entire medical center switches to crisis mode; at the time of an attack, it receives severely injured victims who have a critical need for trauma care.

Cooperation with the army
The Israeli government has designated the hospital as an official military hospital that meets the medical needs of soldiers in the region. During and after the Second Lebanon War (2006), the hospital treated civilians and provided rehabilitation services to wounded military personnel. The center is within the range of rocket attacks from Lebanon. Since the emergency department of the hospital is vulnerable, Bnai Zion is raising funds to build a new protected underground unit, which will be fortified against nuclear, biological and chemical attacks.

Academic participation
The Bnai Zion medical center is affiliated with the Ruth & Bruce Rappaport School of Medicine of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and serves as a teaching hospital for its students. Many of the center's department heads and physicians are on the faculty and are associated with their various medical research initiatives. The hospital also operates one of the oldest nursing schools in Israel, which offers an academic degree.

The Alwall type dialyzer was developed and first used at Bnai Zion Medical Center. Researchers from Bnai Zion Medical Center and Technion developed a novel molecule called semaphorin 3A that aims to treat inflammatory conditions, including lupus and asthma.

Accolades
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to Israel Khaled al-Jalahma met with Bnai Zion Medical Center's CEO Dr. Ohad Hochman in July 2022 as part of a collaboration between medical centers in Bahrain and Bnai Zion. Al-Jalahma was visiting the medical center as part of its 100th-anniversary celebrations that were being held by Bnai Zion's Friends Association, and established mutual delegations, conferences and knowledge exchange in recognition of excellence at the medical center.

In a 2022 survey of 8,000 people at 29 general hospitals across the country, Bnai Zion Medical Center ranked first in pediatric patient satisfaction.

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, photographer Micha Brikman captured hundreds of pictures of daily life inside of Bnai Zion Medical Center.