On its 90th anniversary, the Jewish General Hospital is a trailblazer in healthcare

As one of the top hospitals in Quebec, the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) excels at pushing the boundaries of medicine and offering exceptional patient care. None of it would be possible without donations to the JGH Foundation, which are needed to supplement public funding. Donors give the Hospital the agility to approach modern challenges from new perspectives by supporting the Foundation’s ongoing Tomorrows Are Made Here $400M philanthropic campaign.

This month, we celebrate the 90^th anniversary of the JGH’s opening.

When the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) first opened its doors on October 8, 1934, it was driven by a visionary commitment: to deliver exceptional medical care to every patient, irrespective of their religion or ethnicity. Established in response to the challenges Jewish physicians faced in securing positions at other hospitals, the JGH has spent the past nine decades advancing the frontiers of healthcare while staying true to its founding principles.

In 1934, this structure comprised the entirety of the JGH. Today it is known as Pavilion B, one of the Hospital’s many pavilions

Today, that is particularly evident through its donor-supported Digital Health Initiatives. From its early days, when patient care was confined within the hospital walls, to the present, where the JGH’s Hospital@Home program allows eligible patients to be monitored remotely from their homes, the JGH has been committed to adapting to the times.

On-site, a Command Centre monitors patient flow throughout the health network. The Connected Health Record, which is currently under development, will allow patient records to be consolidated on a single digital platform across the JGH’s health network, creating greater efficiency and improved care. Then there is OROT, which fosters the creation of solutions that improve public health by giving entrepreneurs access to the insights of users and professionals.

Clearly, technology has radically changed healthcare since the JGH opened, and the past nine decades have also witnessed many examples of medical advancement at the Hospital across other fields. In the 1980s, staff at the JGH’s Lady Davis Institute led critical discoveries in AIDS research. In 1999, the JGH was the first hospital in Quebec to open an operating room specifically designed and equipped for minimally invasive surgery. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), now a global standard for diagnosing cognitive decline across a range of conditions, was developed at the JGH. These examples just scratch the surface of a rich history of medical leadership.

File card of the first patient admitted to the JGH
on October 15, 1934

“The 90^th anniversary is a moment to reflect and celebrate our success in advancing patient care, research, and innovation,” said Bram Freedman, President and CEO of the JGH Foundation. “Thanks to our generous donors over the decades, the JGH has consistently elevated its standards and achieved new milestones.”

“As we mark the JGH’s 90th anniversary, as in decades past, our top priority is to try to place ourselves in the patient’s position, determine what the patient needs and wants, and then fulfill that need with professional expertise, compassionate care and the most up-to-date technology,” said Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, the health network in which the JGH plays a pivotal role. “We are truly fortunate to have such a creative and empathetic staff, always ready to innovate and bring forward new solutions, all in the name of better care.”

In celebrating its 90th anniversary this month, the JGH acknowledges the vital contributions of patients, staff, and supporters who have been instrumental in its development. Dedicated to enhancing health outcomes and advancing medical research, the Hospital is upholding its history of excellence, pushing forward into the future of healthcare and making more tomorrows for patients across Quebec and beyond.