National Jewish Health - Present Mission

Present Mission

Today, National Jewish Health has no formal ties to any religious or quasi-religious institution and receives no annual funding from B'nai B'rith or any similar organizations. Until 1968, the institution only accepted patients without Health insurance and all care was free. In keeping with this philosophy, free or heavily subsidized care is provided to ensure that patients who are in need can receive the care they need. At the opening of National Jewish back in 1899, the president of the institution, speaking of TB in the heightened rhetoric of that day, declared that it was his dream for the hospital "that its doors may never close again until the terrible scourge is driven from the earth." Now, at a time when the World Health Organization estimates that one out of every three people in the world is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, (the bacteria causes 5-10% of carriers to develop active TB in their lifetime) those doors are still open.

American Health magazine termed National Jewish Health one of the finest U. S. hospitals in allergy, immunology and pulmonology for both adult and pediatric patients The Institute for Science and Medicine rated National Jewish Health among the top 10 independent biomedical research institutions-of any kind-in the world, and the only one that also provides patient care. Since 1998, U.S. News & World Report has ranked National Jewish Health as the best respiratory hospital in the nation, and scholarly publisher Thomson Scientific has ranked National Jewish Health among 25 of the most influential research institutions in the world in its areas of focus.

As National Jewish Health is a leader in the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis, Andrew Speaker, an individual suspected to have XDR-TB under federal quarantine, was moved to the hospital for treatment on May 31, 2007. The Mycobacteriology Laboratory at National Jewish Health determined that Speaker did not have the Extensive Drug resistant form of TB (XDR-TB), but rather the Multi-Drug Resistant form of TB (MDR-TB).

In August 2007, National Jewish doctors treated XDR-TB patient Robert Daniels, following his nearly year long quarantine in a Maricopa County hospital jail ward. After an extensive legal battle, Daniels was sent to National Jewish Hospital where the Mycobacteriology Laboratory diagnosed Daniels with MDR-TB (rather than XDR-TB). In addition to treating his TB, doctors at National Jewish also removed Daniels' entire left lung.