Welcome to our Living Wall

Interwoven for a Century, Together for Tomorrow

The Living Wall celebrates Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, our role in medical history as well as in the City of Newark. While highlighting the City of Newark, we have focused on our South Ward Neighborhood.

Changing Times, Changing Medicine

It is fitting that one of America's most dynamic and constantly evolving cities has been, and continues to be, home to one of the nation's most progressive providers of health care services. Paralleling Newark's steady changes in population and economic development, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (The Beth) has always been, and remains at the vanguard of advances in the science, technology and sociology of medicine. 

In the year 1900, The Daughters of Israel Hospital Association is organized. The founders set out to create a health care institution unlike any other heretofore. They impose a unique obligation upon themselves resolving to accept anyone in need of care. Even so, the hospital initially draws patients largely from the Jewish community. Almost immediately, however, The Beth becomes Newark's hospital, and finally it is firmly established as a pillar in the world of medicine. 

Throughout Newark's history, successive waves of immigrants enrich the population, making ethnic diversity a strong characteristic of the region. These groups of new arrivals form clusters, as they are somewhat hesitant to venture into the cultural mainstream of the new world. They seek out health care services from those most familiar to them. Consequently, some ethnic and religious groups establish their own hospitals. As times and medicine change, the ethnicity of many health care communities gradually fades, and a diverse, inclusive, cohesive medical community evolves. The Beth becomes one of its leaders.

Each group of immigrants also makes its own substantive contributions to the city. Italian, Portuguese, German and Greek-Americans are just a few of the populations to become a vital part of the fabric, growth and leadership of Newark. Talented medical personnel are drawn to The Beth from this diverse pool, and medical progress soon follows. Safe childbirth is an early achievement. Enormous progress is made with regard to the control and prevention of infections, as well as how to appropriately address trauma. Research furthers the understanding of the relationship of the Rh factor to the breakdown of red blood cells in newborns. This leads to the survival of babies that would otherwise perish. Yet, these are merely a few of the quantum medical leaps made by The Beth.

The industrial strength of Newark helps nurture an innovative attitude at Newark Beth Israel. Surgical procedures quickly advance ahead of the accepted state of the art. Numerous heart and pulmonary diseases are overcome. Cancer treatments and organ transplantations advance from experimental to commonplace.

Throughout these changing times and dramatic changes in medicine, this great medical center continues to reaffirm its founding principle of service to all. Because medicine does not stand still, tomorrow's understanding must overshadow today's breakthroughs. While modern medical science advances, The Beth, as part of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, continues to be at the forefront.