With more than 2.8 million people, Brooklyn is the most populous borough of New York City.
Distinguished by a mosaic of ethnic enclaves throughout its 70 square mile area, the borough is home to 2.8 million diversified Brooklynites. Nearly 50% of our residents in the communities we serve are foreign born, so cultural sensitivity is vital. At Maimonides Medical Center, we understand and respect the diverse cultural needs and customs of our community and our staff and committment reflects that understanding.
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A Century of Serving Brooklyn
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Respectful Care That Celebrates Diversity
At Maimonides, we seek to understand a patient's lifestyle, diet and cultural attitudes toward health. We take cultural competence seriously. In addition to the Orthodox Jewish, Italian, Puerto Rican and Irish communities of long-standing, this area is now home to Chinese, Russians, Ukrainians, Dominicans, Arabs, Mexicans, Caribbeans, Pakistanis and others. Our Patient Relations Department—the largest of any hospital in New York City—is staffed by a team of multilingual patient representatives who are available around the clock as advocates and advisers. With the increasing number of Chinese patients entering our Emergency Room, we added 24/7 coverage by patient representatives fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese. Signage and patient information materials throughout the hospital appear in ten languages.
Maimonides is uniquely committed to the special health care needs of the Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish communities, with meals cooked to the highest standards of kosher supervision, a synagogue on the ground floor and Shabbos elevators in the main building. There are religious services for patients and visitors for all major holidays. Yiddish-speaking patient representatives are trained to assist elderly Holocaust survivors, and we maintain strong relationships with local Bikur Cholims (societies for visiting the sick) to meet the needs of our observant patients.
Strong Community Ties & Affiliated Physicians
Our hospital is woven into the fabric of the communities we serve. Many of us collaborate with or serve on the boards of local civic and religious organizations. This involvement is crucial because how people live, work and play affects how they care for themselves. By participating actively in community affairs, we keep our fingers on the pulse of local life and help influence decision-making that promotes good health.
Perhaps our strongest links to our communities are the private physicians who entrust their patients to our care. Many of these private practitioners trained at Maimonides, and the partnership we enjoy is the foundation of our past and future success.
Community Action
More than 1,300 individuals each year help to make Maimonides a better place through their volunteer service. They speak dozens of languages and reflect the rich ethnic and religious diversity of our community and city.
Just as we work to help our communities, our volunteers make Maimonides a better and more caring hospital. Some are students from local high schools. Some are college students performing community service or career internships. Others are homemakers, community leaders or business executives. All make the time to share their gifts with others. Our volunteers speak dozens of languages and reflect the rich ethnic and religious diversity of our communities and city. Regardless of whether they are helping to greet visitors, supporting administrative staff, working in the library or serving as doulas for maternity patients, the service of our volunteers is invaluable. (interested in volunteer opportunities? )
Services Available in the Community
Ambulatory Health Network
The Medical Center’s network of ambulatory health centers brings primary care services into the neighborhood. Our health center’s serve the community with compassion and caring and are tailored to meet the health care needs of the neighborhood in which they are located. For a detailed listing of our ambulatory health centers please click here.
Events
The following is a sampling of the community outreach programs. For a more complete list, please click here for the events calendar.
Maimonides is a strong supporter of local schools and community organizations. From the Christopher Columbus Day parade to the Flatlands Church of Christ street fair to the PS 105 school health fair, our staffs are there to participate. Our medical staff works closely with neighborhood schools to provide mentoring, internship and volunteer opportunities for students.
Speaker’s Bureau
Our Speaker’s Bureau includes physicians, nurses and other health professionals who address a variety of health topics at community organizations including the Boro Park Y, Homecrest Community Services for the Elderly and the St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Health Screening Services
Screening for medical problems such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose level measurements are but a few of the services provided by Maimonides medical personnel at health and street fairs. We also provide these very same services at street fairs and school health fairs.
Mental Health Services
Our Community Mental Health Center staff play an important role in providing mental health services to our neighbors and friends on a daily basis. These services were particularly critical after the World Trade Center tragedy when we provided support and helped so many people deal with the loss of loved ones and members of their community. That support continues today.
Our staff also held the first annual Maimonides Memorial Walk this year, helping parents deal with the loss of a child. A workshop for immigrants who are experiencing depression associated with loss of country and an adjustment to a new land was held in June.
Family Caregivers Program
Maimonides Medical Center addresses the needs of senior citizens who serve as caregivers to their loved ones with the Family Caregivers Program. Funding was initially provided by the United Hospital Fund; today the Medical Center and First to Care Homecare support the initiative. The program seeks to expand and integrate services available to caregivers when the family member is in the hospital as well as after discharge. Weekly support meetings are held to help caregivers and allow them to meet and simply relax with others who are experiencing similar problems.
Palliative Care in the Community
To help people living with advanced chronic illnesses that affect their daily lives, the Medical Center participates in the Southern Brooklyn Palliative Care Network’s Quality of Life program. Services are provided to comfort for people with progressive, life threatening conditions in their own homes. For more information on the Quality of Life program, visit their website by clicking here.