The establishment of Beilinson Hospital in 1936 was an important milestone in the development of the Jewish Settlement in the Land of Israel. The new hospital was intended to serve the pioneers in the towns in the Judah and Sharon regions. The Hasharon Hospital was founded in 1942 with the increase in the needs for medical services.
In January 1996 Beilinson and Hasharon hospitals merged to form Rabin Medical Center, the largest and leading medical complex in Israel, named in memory of Israel's late prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin.
Rabin Medical Center has throughout the years served as a model for new standards in medical treatment. It is a leader in technology and science while maintaining the highest standards of quality care with attention to the personal touch towards patients and their families.
Beilinson Hospital (1936 - 1995)
In 1936, all workers in what was then central Palestine agreed to donate collectively two-days' worth of wages toward the establishment of the region's first ''Hospital of Judea and Sharon”. The facility was later renamed Beilinson Hospital in honor of one of its founders, Dr. Moshe Beilinson, a physician and head of the supervisory committee of Kupat Holim, (General Sick Fund), and also the publisher and editor of the newspaper Davar.
Pioneer and Leader
Beilinson Hospital has always been a leader and trailblazer in the performance of novel surgical procedures and in the establishment of specialty medical departments and units, growing from a local 70-bed hospital to the tertiary medical center with more than 1,000 beds that it is today. In 1938, Beilinson established the first Blood Bank in Israel, in 1964 it performed the first living-related donor kidney transplant in Israel and in 1968, the first heart transplant - just one year after the original first world operation. The first implantation of an artificial heart in Israel was performed at Beilinson in 1995 and the first small intestine transplant was in 2014.
Beilinson’s highly professional staff of physicians, nurses, and other professionals, the large scope of services offered and the many research projects have all contributed to its growth and position as one of the finest medical centers not only in Israel , but globally.
Beilinson has persevered in its tradition of pioneering and groundbreaking: In 1970 it established the first heart institute in the country; and in 1975, the first neonatal intensive care unit. It was also the first hospital in Israel to have a dermatology department, a nephrology institute, and a dialysis unit.
Focus on Children
The tradition of leadership of Beilinson Hospital continued to the end of the 20th century. In 1991, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, the largest and most advanced children's hospital in the Middle East, opened on Beilinson Campus. The new children's center, which was formed on the basis of the pediatric departments of Beilinson and Hasharon Hospitals, was made possible thanks to the generous contribution of the Schneider Family.
Humanity without Borders
Throughout its history Beilinson Hospital has been committed to national and international humanitarian needs. It played an important role in the treatment of immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, many of whom came directly from the airport to the hospital, and it has sent numerous medical teams to countries in distress. In 1986, the city of Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union experienced the most severe nuclear leakage in history. Beilinson Hospital was among the first facilities to provide help for the radiation victims. Many staff members have taken part in medical challenges abroad, including trauma care of hurricane victims in Haiti, surgical treatments in Africa and more.
Delegations of physicians and nurses from developing natins come to RMC for special study sessions, and return to their homelands with enhanced professional tools, also becoming ambassadors of good will for the State of Israel.
Furthermore, starting with the events of 1936-1939, physicians at Beilinson Hospital have treated victims of terror and war, be they Jews, Arabs, Israelis or foreigners. It continues to serve as the medical backbone for our forces and treating wartime and terror-induced injuries with the highest quality of care.
Leaders in Research and Development
Since its establishment, Beilinson Hospital has been a leader in academic activities and research. Its physicians were among the initiators of the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. The late Prof. Andre DeVries, a recipient of the Israeli Prize, former Head of the Department of Internal Medicine D and Director of Beilinson Hospital, was the first Dean of the Sackler School of Medicine.
The Rogoff Welcome Research Center, established in the 1970's as a unique research facility, served as the nucleus for the Institute of Felsenstein Medical Research Center (FMRC), which today comprises 50 research laboratories. Among the scientific breakthroughs that can be credited to Beilinson and the FMRC are the discovery of the gene responsible for a form of familial hereditary rickets, the development of an antidote to viper venom, the development of the Sharplan laser for gynecologic and plastic surgery, the introduction of the Lympha-Press to prevent lymphatic fluid accumulating after surgery, and the introduction of a special version of a lithotripter which fragments stones in the urinary tract.
Founded together with the hospital in 1936 was the Dina School of Nursing which now offers fully accredited academic programs in various aspects of nursing, and qualifies students for BA and MA degree in nursing.
Golda-Hasharon Hospital (1942-1995)
The health needs of a burgeoning population were instrumental in the decision of Kupat Holim to establish a satellite branch of Beilinson hospital. Initially, a surgical unit was established in a one-story building called Beilinson II. Several years later, it was renamed Hasharon Hospital, and changed in 1982 to Golda-Hasharon Hospital after the late Prime Minister Golda Meir, who was also Chairman of the board of Kupat Holim.
The founding staff of the hospital consisted of a team of surgeons from Beilinson Hospital, headed by Prof. N. Feller. Over the years the hospital expanded from 28 to 400 beds, with new departments and specialized units added one by one, ultimately becoming a leading medical complex in the region and a pioneer in many fields of medical treatment and diagnosis.
As part of RMC's multi-year strategic plan, Hasharon Hospital will become an elective facility for planned activities and elective surgery, with short-term hospitalization and outpatient specialty clinics. This project places Hasharon as a leader in Israel in the elective surgical field, strengthening its tradition of providing outstanding medical care and service to the public of Israel.
Community-Friendly Care
Golda-Hasharon Hospital is characterized by its high professional level, its familial atmosphere, personal approach and community orientation. Its physicians participate in community clinics, and community physicians participate in hospital activities. This mutual relationship has benefited the community by raising health care standards. The hospital has become a regional medical center affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, with extensive academic and research activities. It was one of the first in Israel to absorb many new immigrant doctors and was active in organizing special training courses for them.
Research
Golda-Hasharon Hospital is responsible for many important research projects whose findings have been published in renowned international professional journals. These include studies in fertility, the discovery of some minor blood groups, the discovery of the ''Hasharon hemoglobin'' and ''Petah Tikva hemoglobin'', and studies in the areas of hematology and electron microscopy.
Rabin Medical Center (1996 - present)
In January 1996, Beilinson and Hasharon Hospitals merged into a single facility, the Rabin Medical Center, creating the largest medical center in Israel. In the same year, for the first time in the country, a liver-lobe was transplanted from a living-related donor, and in l998, the first successful cross-transplantation of a kidney was performed - between an Arab and a Jew.
In 1999, the hospital introduced a new technique of catheterization of brain blood vessels in Israel, replacing open-brain surgery, and in 2001, it conducted the first robot assisted cardiothoracic operation.
Further information about Rabin Medical Center
