The Hospital on the Hill

At the core of  Nazareth Hospital's mission lies  

the conviction that all people, whether rich or 

poor, whether Jew or Arab, Muslim or Christian,  

are to be treated  with compassion, dignity, and respect.

(Photo by Virginia A.Hostetler)

Nazareth Hospital has the distinction of being Israel's oldest hospital (1861) as well as remaining a crucial part of the region's healthcare network.  The hospital is recognized by Israel's Ministry of Health, and serves as a District General Hospital for the Galilee Region.  

Staffed principally by local people, the hospital is the second largest employer in the town of  Nazareth.  Approximately 5% of the hospital staff, both medical and support staff, are internationals.  All international volunteers work alongside local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian staff.   

Nazareth Hospital's Renal Dialysis unit is literally a lifeline to its patients.

Offering Israel's only psychiatric ward for Arabic speakers, Nazareth Hospital offers both inpatient and outpatient services in the field of mental health.  Psychiatry is the newest service to be introduced by the hospital. 

One of the pioneers in Israel for Hospice Care, Nazareth Hospital opened the King's Ward for hospice care.  Hospice staff care for patients and offer support for their families, both in the King's  Ward and in patient's homes. 

Nazareth Hospitals Labor and Delivery ward is the busiest of its  25 departments, with 3,000 deliveries per year. This ward also includes the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where premature and sick babies receive care. 

The nursing department at the Nazareth Hospital provides new mothers with education in postnatal care, nutrition and family  health matters.  On average, the labor and delivery ward sees, on average, 3,000 births each year.  Nurses have many opportunities to help young lives have a healthy start.