Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem

Comprehensive prenatal care is essential to any healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, few expectant mothers in the Holy Land have access to prenatal care, and many will not see a healthcare professional until they enter a hospital in labor. This poses great risks to both mother and baby. Holy Family Hospital offers comprehensive prenatal care services to expectant mothers at a reduced cost. The Hospital offers all exams, lab tests, and prenatal vitamins necessary to a healthy pregnancy.

The hospital delivers approximately 70 percent of all Bethlehem infants, maintaining a survival rate of nearly 100 percent. It is the only hospital in the region medically equipped to deliver babies born before 34 weeks and regularly treats babies as small as one pound. Doctors and midwives fight to save every mother and baby, demonstrating a commitment to life that is absolute. The seven private delivery rooms can accommodate up to 20 deliveries in a 24-hour period and the nursery can accommodate 28 babies at a time.

The hospital operates an 18-bed level III NICU which cares for premature newborns, including a subset of these fragile infants known as “micro-preemies” who weigh as little as 16 ounces at birth. Care for these babies is highly resource-intensive, requiring lifesaving support and transfers to partner hospitals for specialized surgical procedures. These babies receive the highest level of care including screening and care for retinopathy, striving for the best future for the babies.

Holy Family Hospital launched its Mobile Outreach Clinic in 1995 with the objective to provide access to obstetric, gynecological, and pediatric care to those who would otherwise go without. Today, the Mobile Clinic runs daily and treats refugees and villagers from remote and isolated communities. The Clinic (staffed by an OB/GYN, a pediatrician, a nurse, and a driver) offers a range of services including pre- and postnatal exams, lab tests, and gynecological/cancer screenings, all from within a state-of-the-art mobile van. The pediatrician cares for young children and newborns, and refers those with severe illness or developmental disabilities to receive specialized care. Periodically, a second OB/GYN accompanies the Clinic team to address the medical needs of postmenopausal women — a severely underserved population in the Holy Land.

In 2013, Holy Family Hospital launched its Well Woman Clinic dedicated to meeting the complex healthcare needs of women past childbearing age. The first of its kind in the region, it offers women postmenopausal health services, including routine screenings, gynecological surgeries, diabetes diagnostics and treatment, and cancer screenings. The Foundation subsidizes all Clinic visits by at least 50% and the initial visit is always free of charge to the patient. In addition to operating at Holy Family Hospital, the Well Woman Clinic doctor regularly accompanies the Mobile Clinic to meet with the many women who cannot afford to travel to Bethlehem.

The Bethlehem region is currently battling a longstanding diabetes epidemic that affects an estimated 15% of the local population (compared to a global average of 5%). Incidence of the disease is even higher among refugees. Diabetes is especially dangerous for expectant mothers, as it can increase their risk of pregnancy complications, birth defects, preterm birth, and miscarriage. In 2024, 1,562 women were treated at the Diabetes Clinic. The Diabetes Clinic screens every woman for diabetes during prenatal exams and offers a range of monitoring and treatment options for those who are diagnosed. Approximately 80% of women treated at the Clinic successfully manage their diabetes with proper diet alone, and are able to avoid insulin therapy.

Since the West Bank has no institutions for advanced medical education, Holy Family Hospital instituted a program of continuing medical education in 1995. Relationships with major medical centers in the West, such as the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, Hospital Saint Vincent DePaul in Paris, and the University of Liege in Belgium, allow for the training of resident doctors, nurses, and midwives from Holy Family Hospital in those institutions. These relationships also bring renowned medical professionals from these Western institutions to the Hospital as visiting professors to teach and assess medical and administrative practice.