The Albert Einstein Medical Center was founded as the Jewish Hospital in response to the needs of the aged, infirm, destitute and the overall Jewish community. Due to existing prejudice, Jewish physicians weren't allowed to practice in hospitals with Christians; likewise, Jewish veterans of the Civil War often were refused treatment due to their religion.

Beginning in August 1864, hundreds of working people offered $1 or $2 donations to build the Jewish hospital. The philanthropist Moses Rosenbach, whose sons founded the Rosenbach Foundation and Museum in Center City Philadelphia, contributed the hospital's bed linens.  Other prominent families embraced the project as both a privilege and an opportunity for the community's physicians.

When the 22-bed Jewish Hospital opened in 1866 (at 56th and Haverford Road in West Philadelphia), care was "free to the suffering poor of all religions" _ in keeping with the principle of caring for any person regardless of race, religion or national origin. Most of the hospital's first patients were peddlers, who traveled to the city to celebrate Passover each spring.

The hospital purchased its first horse-drawn ambulance in 1884, opened a Home for the Aged in 1889, and started a gynecological clinic in 1896. In 1901, a synagogue was opened on the hospital grounds, dedicated in memory of Henry S. Frank, a long-time board member.

In 1950, Henry B. Makover, MD issued a report recommending that the Jewish Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital and Northern Liberties Hospital unite to form one medical center. At the time, research shows that such a proposal was virtually unheard of in health care. But supporters argued it presented an opportunity to give physicians a broader opportunity for scope of practice, and bringing the different hospitals' expertise and strengths together would benefit the broader community.

Fortunately, Joseph M. First, a lawyer who served as the volunteer president of Mount Sinai, stepped up to guide the project.  It was Mr. First who in 1951 reached out to the 20th century's greatest scientist, Albert Einstein, for permission to use his name for the new medical center. On June 28, 1951, Albert Einstein sent a letter approving the request - thus honoring the project and its backers, and by extension, the city of Philadelphia.

In 1952, the three hospitals merged to become Albert Einstein Medical Center, an institution  "devoted to medical teaching, medical research, and community health."  Mr. First became Einstein's first president and served from 1953-1955, again, as a volunteer.

Over the years, Einstein has grown into one of the largest, most comprehensive healthcare providers in the Philadelphia region. Its mission is to make quality healthcare available to people from all walks of life, to train the next generation of physicians and to advance medical science through research.

Now as it was then, Einstein relies on the generosity and commitment of its Board and core community to support its mission. Two and sometimes three generations bring business expertise, financial backing, and strong leadership to make a reality of the Einstein vision.
From the 22-bed hospital founded on 1866, Albert Einstein Healthcare Network has grown to a  more than 1,200 bed integrated delivery network, with more than 7,100 employees.  Yet, it remains a private, not-for-profit organization whose primary mission is to provide compassionate, high-quality healthcare to the greater Philadelphia region.

In January 2006, The Board of Trustees of Albert Einstein Healthcare Network (AEHN) and the Boards of Montgomery Health System (Montgomery Hospital, Montgomery Hospital Foundation, Fornance Physicians Services, and CMMC) approved an agreement to enhance the scope of clinical care available to their patients and communities, and to reduce patients' travel time for obtaining high-level clinical services. The centerpiece of the agreement is the development of a new, technologically advanced medical center.

On March 10, 2008, the East Norriton Township Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve zoning changes for the 84-acre property along Germantown Pike that will become the site of the new state-of-the-art hospital, which is expected to open Fall 2011.
In keeping with its historic commitment to care for the underserved, Einstein announced in 2009 that (unlike many hospitals in Philadelphia) it would not only continue to deliver babies, but also had completed construction on a $10 million project to expand its maternity unit. The expansion includes more beds for mothers and babies who have delivered; an expanded triage unit to care for the over 8,000 patients who come to Einstein for evaluation of problems experienced during their pregnancies; and a new Ante-natal testing unit that performs all necessary ultrasounds and testing of fetuses needed to provide the most up-to-date quality care.