Where healing hands meet community spirit stands Ziekenhuis Amstelland. This hospital serves the Amstelland region. It includes Amstelveen, Aalsmeer, Uithoorn, and Ouder-Amstel. It also serves the Jewish community in the Netherlands.
Ziekenhuis Amstelland wasn’t always known by that name. It started as two separate entities. The Nicolaas Tulp Ziekenhuis was founded in 1968. The Centrale Israëlietische Ziekenverpleging or CIZ came from Amsterdam. These two merged in 1978. For many years it was known as Ziekenhuis Amstelveen. In 2005, it became Ziekenhuis Amstelland. This name change highlighted its regional role.
The story of Ziekenhuis Amstelland is rooted in community effort. Amstelveen needed its own hospital. To build it eight million gulden was needed. The Nicolaas Tulp Foundation started a fundraiser. They needed to raise five percent of the total cost. They fell short of their goal. So the committee “Ons Eigen Ziekenhuis” was formed.
This committee launched “Actie Thermometer” in February 1965. A large thermometer was placed on Plein 1960. It displayed the amount of money raised. The community rallied. They raised over 400.000 gulden. This ensured the hospital’s construction.
In 1966, construction began on the former Langerhuize farm. The hospital was built quickly using a Swedish prefab system. It took only 22 months. On June 28, 1968, the Tulp Hospital opened. Mayor Dirk Rijnders officiated.
Ten years later, the hospital merged with CIZ. The Jewish hospital maintained its identity. A kosher kitchen was installed. The hospital has been expanded and renovated several times. In 2004, a new building was added. It rose above the original low-rise structure.
Ziekenhuis Amstelland provides basic medical care. It houses various specialties. It has Jewish nursing wards. There is also a Jewish meeting room and prayer space. Two organizations support the hospital. These are the Stichting Vrienden van Ziekenhuis Amstelland and the Vereniging CIZ. Since 2011, the hospital has been connected to the Waterlinie health center in Uithoorn.
In 1968 the hospital directorate consisted of medical director Dr. H. Voorzanger. Also Verpleegkundig directrice mejuffrouw zr. M.H. Helmer and financial director de heer G.J. Brandhoff. Those were different times.
Before the first patients were welcomed on July 1, 1968, the people of Amstelveen could take a look. After all, they had given generously and raised an amount of 407,500 guilders, a requirement of the government. For the eight million guilders that the project would cost, the state guaranteed it, provided that the citizens of Amstelveen themselves raised 5%. And they did.
Ziekenhuis Amstelland remains a vital part of the community. It provides essential care with a personal touch. It is a hospital where people know each other. That makes it a pleasant place to be. Aangenaam dichtbij as they say here.