Montefiore Hospital

Montefiore Medical Center has secured Norwood’s place in history. Montifore has become the lifeline for the community and for much of the Bronx.  The campus offers world class medical care, thousands of jobs to local Bronx and New York City workers, and has supported its greater community in every aspect possible. Were it not for Montefiore’s relocation to the Bronx in 1904, much of the borough and Norwood itself would be an entirely different place than it is today.

Established in 1884, shortly before the completion of Williamsbridge Reservoir, it was formerly known as Montefiore Home for Chronic Invalids. Its aim was to serve those with illnesses and diseases that other hospitals of the day would not help. The Home for Chronic Invalids quickly expanded and became a necessary element in healthcare of the time. Many medical breakthroughs have come out of Montefiore including the first Tuberculosis tests in 1890 and the invention of the cardiotachometer in the 1920’s to measure heart rate. In 1905, Montefiore was one of the few hospitals in the nation to have an in-house ‘Department of Social Work’ for psychological needs of patients and families. In 1912, Montefiore built a new campus in the Northern section of the Bronx, now known as Norwood. The ‘Moses’ campus as it was called provided ample room to expand and spread out as Montefiore had already become a state of the art medical center. New partnerships with community organizations also allowed the hospital to offer healthcare to anyone in need.

Today, Montefiore is one of the largest providers of home based healthcare. An extensive network or social workers, nurses, aides, and traveling physicians provide world-class in home care. Back in 1945, Montefiore was the nation’s first hospital to set up a Department of Home Health Care. Around the same time the center established home health care, the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center was completed with the hopes of improving community relationships between the hospital and between residents themselves.

In 1966, a comprehensive plan to understand the health problems facing the immediate community was undertaken. The Dr. martin Luther King Health Center was established bringing making modern healthcare available to the South Bronx community. Physicians worked directly with local residents to identify solutions to the problems facing the local communities.

A few years later in 1970, Montefiore established a Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Its aim was to combat the harmful effects many of the borough’s tenants had been exposed to. This program would later play a large role in the Mosholu Preservation Corporation (MPC), a community development initiative created to mitigate deteriorating housing conditions. The MPC set up the ‘Lead Safe House’ and building with six apartments, medical clinic, and outdoor space, designed to house displaced families while lead contaminants were removed from their homes.

Coordinated care across multiple settings has allowed Montefiore to improve the health of patients and populations alike. It continues to be an institution of not only medical prowess but one cherished for its ability to maintain a vibrant, well-kept community. Montefiore continues to provide healthcare services to over two million Bronx residents alone while simultaneously promoting communal wellness and advancement.