The laying of the cornerstone for the Dazian building in 1922. Herbert Hoover is to the left of the man with the top hat. Isaac Phillips (of Phillips Ambulatory Care Center and the Phillips School of Nursing at MSBI) is bending down with the shovel.
This week we held a lunch and learn, “128 Years in Lower Manhattan” presented by Mount Sinai Health System archivist and MSBI specialist, Nicholas Webb. We had a very full auditorium, and it was so wonderful to celebrate our history, especially MSBI’s dedication to medical innovation and increasing access to care. These are still some of our most important core values.
The presentation reminded me that Beth Israel has been through so much change in the past 100+ years. It is rewarding to know that we will be the ones to continue the journey.
Beth Israel was founded in 1889. Did you know BI has changed locations three times to adapt to the needs of our community?
We are in this same process of adapting to community needs and also to new technologies. We are currently doing construction to improve our Union Square and Chelsea Center locations. The new hospital may seem far off, but I am excited to report that the scaffolding is now up for the external demolition of the current building at our new site. We will see this building come down to make way for our very own cornerstone. I’m grateful that we are the ones to continue this legacy.
Beginning demolition: scaffolding on the former NYEE residents building.
Construction is only a small part of our transformation. We will continue to adjust our clinical practices to better care for our patients’ evolving needs while ensuring that we are fiscally sustainable over the long haul. This challenge gives us the opportunity to lead and innovate like so many BI pioneers before us. It will take an extraordinary amount of teamwork and dedication, and I can’t thank you enough for your patience and persistence during this time.
If you missed the presentation, you can see it here.
Jeremy