Imagine stepping back in time to 1911. The seeds of Maimonides Medical Center were sown as the New Utrecht Dispensary. It was a small but vital resource serving the poor.
Fast forward to 1919 several dispensaries joined forces. The New Utrecht Dispensary became Israel Hospital of Brooklyn. A year later, Zion Hospital merged. They became United Israel Zion Hospital. New facilities were built to accommodate more patients. One such building is now the Administration building on Tenth Avenue.
In 1947 another significant merger occurred. United Israel Zion and Beth Moses hospitals combined. This formed the medical center as it exists today. It was then renamed Maimonides Medical Center. The name honors Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon. He was a 12th-century philosopher and physician. He laid the foundation for modern medical training.
Maimonides embodies Rabbi Maimon’s values. These values include cultural tolerance and humane care. High medical standards are also important.
Maimonides Medical Center has achieved much over the years. It is now a globally recognized medical center. It is also Brooklyn’s first full-service Cancer Center. The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons accredited it. It received perfect scores in all categories.
Maimonides’ cardiac valve surgery outcomes are exceptional. They are better than any Manhattan program. This is according to the New York State Department of Health. Maimonides ranks in the top 1% in New York for angioplasty and stents.
Maimonides has received the highest honors from the American Stroke Association. This has been for 14 consecutive years. It is ranked among the top 1% of hospitals in the nation. This is for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and pulmonary disease. The data comes from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Maimonides is a designated Regional Perinatal Center. It accepts transfers of high-risk pregnancies and newborns. Maimonides is also Brooklyn’s first and only pediatric trauma center. It is an accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Maimonides has pioneered medical innovations. In 1961 the commercial pacemaker was developed here. The intra-aortic balloon pump was co-developed in 1970. In 1966 the first partial mechanical heart implantation took place at Maimonides. The second human heart transplant was performed here in 1967. It was the first in the U.S. Dr. Adrian Kantrowitz performed it.
The first needle aspiration biopsy in the U.S. was done at Maimonides in 1981. The first robotic surgery for pediatric patients in the U.S. occurred here in 2001. Maimonides performed the first angioplasty during a heart attack in 1983.
In May 2021, the Brooklyn Cyclones announced their ballpark would be named Maimonides Park. It was part of a naming-rights deal.
Maimonides remains committed to patient-centered care. It is a Brooklyn-born hospital at the forefront of medicine. Maimonides Medical Center provides high-quality personalized healthcare using the latest technology. It continues to build upon its legacy of innovation.