About Us
Bethesda Memorial Hospital - Our History
As the flagship of Bethesda Healthcare System, Bethesda Memorial Hospital is a fully accredited, community, not-for-profit hospital offering a full array of healthcare services through our Centers of Excellence.
Bethesda Memorial Hospital opened its doors in 1959 with 70 beds, a medical staff of 32 physicians, 65 employees and a mission to serve the community. At that time, the Hospital's founders made a decision to establish Bethesda as a not-for-profit hospital. For over 50 years, the commitment to preserving this status has not wavered.
It is this commitment to our community that has allowed Bethesda to grow and become a 401-bed, community, not-for-profit hospital with a mission "to provide quality health services in a caring manner."
With 525 physicians in more than 40 areas of specialty, and a hospital staff of more than 2,300 employees, Bethesda Memorial Hospital, and its affiliates, offer a full array of healthcare services including:
- Comprehensive cancer care
- Comprehensive cardiovascular services
- Orthopaedics
- Maternity services including a Level III neonatal intensive care unit
- Advanced Primary Stroke Center
- Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation
- Wound care and hyperbaric medicine
- And more
Building for a Lifetime
| 1957 | Groundbreaking ceremony for Bethesda Memorial Hospital |
| 1959 | Hospital opened with 32 doctors and 70 beds |
| 1959 | First baby born at Bethesda |
| 1969 | A rock from the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem was sent to the Hospital by former Boynton Beach residents. It remains on display in the Main Lobby of the Hospital. |
| 1980 | A witty sign placed in front of the Hospital succinctly expressed Bethesda's community ownership. . . priceless! |
| 2000 | Bethesda's most aggressive expansion and renovation plan was presented and initiated: $100 Million Community Challenge Campaign |
| 2005 | The 28-bed Cornell Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine opened on the 3rd floor of the Hospital to serve the needs of patients requiring orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation. |
| 2005 | The Bethesda Stroke Center became a Certified Primary Stroke Center, the first of its kind in Palm Beach County |
| 2008 | The Bethesda Heart Hospital, a 39-bed, heart hospital opened to provide the most comprehensive level of cardiovascular services for the area's rapidly growing population. |
| 2008 | The Walter S. and Lucienne Driskill Endovascular Center opened to allow surgeons to care for patients with vascular problems using minimally invasive procedures. |
| 2009 | Bethesda Memorial Hospital, the first, not-for-profit, community hospital built in South Palm Beach County, celebrated its 50th Anniversary on February 9, 2009. |
| 2010 | Landmark groundbreaking of Palm Beach County's newest hospital, Bethesda West Hospital, on May 25, 2010. |