Holy Family Hospital International Medical Committee Update

The Holy Family Hospital is the most advanced maternity hospital in the West Bank and fully supported by the Order of Malta. Two members of the Federal Association, Dr. Harry W. Johnson, Jr. and Michelle B. Bowe, serve on the International Board of Trustees of the Holy Family Hospital. Dr. Johnson serves as President of the International Medical Committee, which is made up of physicians from Europe and U.S., with specialists in OBGYN, urogynecology, gynecologic surgery, obstetric anesthesia, neonatology, pediatrics, and midwifery.

With support of the Swiss Order of Malta the hospital’s International Medical Committee is establishing a visiting professor program to teach the resident physicians, attending physicians and hospital staff. Goals of this new program include keeping Holy Family Hospital at the forefront of maternity, gynecologic, and neonatal care. The hospital practices to European and Western standards, and equipment in specialty units is on par with modern western and European medical centers. In the coming month Dr. Johnson will be accompanying a perinatologist (maternal fetal medicine) specializing in high risk obstetrics, a neonatologist , an OBGYN specializing in international medicine and a urogynecologist as part of the program. Two of these specialists traveling in November are from the University of Maryland where Dr. Johnson serves as Associate Vice Chair and Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and which was recently named a Center of Excellence. There is a third visiting physician/professor from the University of Maryland scheduled for February, 2015.

As part of the goals for the first visits in this program, the International Medical Committee and participating visiting professors will review hospital protocols, evaluate care in all subspecialty units, ensure all units are properly equipped and that equipment is properly used and maintained.

Some recent programs established under the International Medical Committee include a diabetes in pregnancy clinic, gynecologic care of women over 40, and NICU (neonatal intensive-care unit) caring for infants born prematurely after 26 weeks. There is a high rate of multiples with twins, triplets and quadruplets. 

Also, last year a new medical van was donated by the Holy Family Hospital Foundation (supported by the three associations of the Order of Malta in the USA) to the hospital, which will increase the hospital’s mobile clinics to care for the Bedouin in the desert as well as serve four Palestinian refugee camps. 

This year, our Federal Association has donated $100,000 from our annual fund to the Holy Family Hospital on behalf of our members. 

Learn more about the Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem here.