American Mission Hospital

The American Mission Hospital (known formerly as the Mason Memorial Hospital) is a private not-for-profit hospital located in Manama, Bahrain.
Established in 1903 as the Mason Memorial Hospital, it was the first modern hospital in the country and, possibly, along the entire southern Persian Gulf region. Today, the hospital offers round-the-clock specialist medical & dental services and operates three satellite clinics in the country, located at Saar, Amwaj Islands and Riffa .
History ^.
The origins of the hospital can be traced back to 1888, with the establishment of an Arabian missionary service by the theological seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In the 1890s, the arrival of the American missionary Samuel Zwemer, James Cantine, and the Australian missionary Amy Wilkes to Bahrain saw the initiation of basic medical services in a mission house. It was a precursor to the establishment of the hospital. The first Western-trained resident doctors, doctors Sharon Thoms and Marion Wells (a husband-and-wife team), later arrived in 1900.
In 1901, the then Hakim of Bahrain Isa ibn Ali Al Khalifa helped purchase land for construction of a hospital complex to replace the mission house. Then, with sufficient donations from the Mason family in New York, the mission constructed the 24-bed "Mason Memorial Hospital" in 1902 and officially opened it on January 26, 1903.
Soon after the hospital opened, it began to attract patients from across the Gulf; from places like Qatif, al-Hasa, Oman, Qatar, Najd and Bushire. By 1924, the hospital was having 33,000 outpatients and 600 inpatients a year, with an average of 100 patients being treated a day. Throughout the hospital's history, the majority of healthcare workers in the hospital were employed from Western countries or India although many Bahrainis were also recruited and trained in the medical sciences.
In 1962, the hospital expanded by opening two new buildings in central Manama and renamed itself the 'American Mission Hospital' that same year. The expansion was opened by the Emir of Bahrain Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. On the brink of closing in the 1980s, the hospital revamped its services by offering 24-hour services, opening new specialised ENT and orthopaedic clinics and constructing a suspended bridge connecting two hospital buildings across a road.
In 2000, the hospital opened its first satellite clinic in Saar, on the western side of Bahrain, offering dental and medical services. In 2014, another clinic was opened in Amwaj Islands, to the northeast of Manama. In March 2018, another clinic was opened in Riffa.
With growing demand in Saar, the hospital services are now being offered, since 2016, from a larger purpose-built clinic in Saar, very close to the old location. In 2018, a new "Zwemer Clinic" was also opened, in the main Manama branch premises, on 5 March, to cater to those in the low income groups with financial needs.
Staff Accommodation was also upgraded in 2019, when a new apartment complex was built for the staff.
A new
Leaders ^.
In the late 1890s, the sick and injured were being served from Samuel Zwemer's dispensary and from the mission house where the Zwemers stayed. But, the need for a proper hospital with well-trained doctors was growing fast. And Zwemer's plea, to the Arabian Mission, for a full medical appointment, finally paid off just when the nineteenth century was coming to an end.
On the very first day of his arrival, Dr Sharon Thoms had to treat a pearl diver attacked by a shark. The patient was brought in with one of his arms very badly mangled, while the other was completely bitten off, below the elbow. That arm had to be amputated with anaesthetic administered, an advancement in medical technology which was very new to Bahrain then. And the cutting of bone, stitching of skin, and dressing of this man's stump, while men around him were fainting - as they saw the procedure - was Dr Thoms' official initiation into medical and surgical work in Bahrain.
It was something that Dr Thoms was completely unprepared for. But it was under his leadership that work began for the new hospital building, and the Mason Memorial Hospital opened two years later.
Referring to the incident, Dr Thoms had written: "The patient's father and brothers did not return from the pearl banks until several days afterward, and one morning they all came to the dispensary with the patient. The whole family showed signs of gratitude, but the father weeping covered my hands with kisses and my head with blessings" ("Field Reports and Quarterly Letters from the Arabian Mission", July-Sep 1900, No.35, Page 6).
Sources: "AMH Archives, Changing Scenes book by Angela Clarke".
The hospital has placed the pictures of all the past Chief Medical Officers, who served over the last hundred years, with their names and tenures, on a wall in its main Manama branch, near its ENT Department.
In 2017, as a part of its strategic development goals, the hospital's board of directors, representing the Reformed Church of America, reorganized senior leadership positions. The board named Dr George Cheriyan as the corporate CEO and member of the board of directors, and it named Julia Tovey as the group CEO, the first female to hold this leadership position in the hospital's almost 120-year history.
Books ^.
For nearly a century, much of what happened in the various stations of the Arabian Mission, including in the Bahrain station, was regularly and meticulously recorded. All the reports of missionaries are now available in the archives of the Reformed Church of America and in the volumes of "Neglected Arabia 1902–1949" and "Arabia Calling 1949–1962". Some chief medical officers, doctors, and other staff have also written books on their experiences at the American Mission Hospital of Bahrain, and on other matters, of personal interest. Some of those books are listed below.
Services ^.
The hospital has been expanding its departments over the years, and is currently offering its services from the following departments:
Awards ^.
In May 2020, the hospital achieved first place in two categories of Business Worldwide Magazine (BWM) 2020 GCC "Business Excellence Awards". Best Private Non-profit Healthcare Provider - GCC and 'Business Leadership and Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare - GCC', which was won by Group CEO Julia Maria Tovey.
In 2020, Dr George Cheriyan, the corporate CEO of AMH, was listed as a finalist in the "CEO Today Middle East Awards 2020" of the CEO Today magazine.
In 2015, it was listed among the best hospitals in the Arabian Gulf region by the International Socrates Committee based in Oxford, England. That year, Dr George Cheriyan was also announced as the 'Manager of the Year' for the region.
Accreditations ^.
In 2017, the hospital in Manama and its satellite branches in Saar and Amwaj Islands have been awarded Diamond status – the highest level of accreditation given to hospitals by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) of Bahrain.
In April 2021, once again, the Diamond Status was re-affirmed when all the three locations were reviewed and re-accredited by NHRA. 
Ten years earlier, on 17 May 2007, AMH had become the first hospital in the Kingdom of Bahrain to have achieved accreditation through ACHS International (ACHSI), Australia's leading health care accreditation agency, which is recognised by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), for both, its standards and its accreditations programs. And that status was reaffirmed in 2010.
The hospital currently has the certifications of OHSAS 18001:2007 and ISO 9001:2015 for the "Provision of In-patient and Out-patient Medical Services including Training, Dental, Diagnostic and Pharmacy Services" from Bureau Veritas, UK.
Community Outreach ^.
The hospital's mission statement says that it provides healthcare "on the biblical principles of Love, Compassion and Grace".
With the permission of the Ministry of Health, wherever required, and with the support of the Ministry of Social Development, the hospital collaborates with various social and philanthropic organizations to offer support to community on health related matters.
Many Bahraini as well as expatriate community groups and societies are given free health checks, educational talks and online discussions, and demonstrations, to spread health awareness. According to its corporate CEO Dr George Cheriyan, “Our community outreach programs are developed around the needs of the people in Bahrain. Care of the elderly, the special needs children, reaching out to labor camps are some of the activities we are involved in”.
Several organizations support AMH's community outreach work, among the blind, among children with down syndrome and among social centres, as a part of the respective organizations' CSR initiatives. In association with "Yousif & Aysha Almoayyed Charity", on 5 August 2018, the hospital held comprehensive medical check-up for children with Down Syndrome at the American Mission Hospital in Manama.
Annual Interschool events like ‘"Med-athalon"’, where quizzes, elocution contests and short film making contests are held to promote medical science and health awareness among children and young people.
Asian School Bahrain won the "AMH Health is Wealth Trophy" in "Med-athalon 2019". And, in December 2020, the Indian School Bahrain has won the trophy in "Med-athalon 2020", which was held on a virtual platform due to Covid-19 considerations. Art Contests are also conducted on the same lines.
The hospital produces a Family Health magazine, 3 times a year, which is distributed freely, along with many booklets prepared by staff on health related matters.
Island Classic Golf Tournament ^.
"AMH Island Classic Golf Tournament" has become an annual fixture in the sporting calendar of Bahrain, usually around October–November. It is held under the patronage of His Majesty the King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, at his private golf course in Saffriya.
In 1997, the hospital’s growth necessitated the construction of a new building and also an overhead bridge to connect the old building with the new one, across a busy street in Manama. In order to raise funds for their construction, the American Mission Hospital and the American Association of Bahrain decided to organize this annual golf tournament.
Every year, the funds raised through this event are regularly used for the hospital expansion projects like new specialist clinics, for purchases of state of the art medical and surgical equipment, and for community outreach programs which include free health camps, village health checks, and events that spread awareness related to health and medical issues.
During the championship's 10th anniversary in 2007, Paul Armerding, the then CMO and CEO had said, "The first Island Classic was held in February 1997. Receiving the patronage of the HH the late Amir, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, was very significant. It was the royal imprimatur, a signal to the community that he gave credibility to our entire fund raising exercise".
The Island Classic golf tournament is played under the Texas scramble format. There are two flights: Championship and Premiership which allows various skill levels of golfers to participate. The King’s golf course has seen some tremendous action and exciting moments over the 3-day tournament each year.
Among those who had teed off on this golf course are world leaders like George Bush Sr. and Fidel Ramos, professional golfers like Scott McCaw and Chris Kelby and celebrity sportspersons like Boris Becker. In fact, Boris Becker, the tennis champion, had come to participate in the AMH Island classic in November 2007.
The 22nd AMH Island Classic charity golf tournament was held in 2019, and the 23rd AMH Island Classic which was scheduled to be held in November 2020 has been postponed due to the covid pandemic.
Wellness ^.
AMH is among the first hospitals in Bahrain to focus on wellness and preventative health. The Riffa clinic, which opened in 2018, has a Wellness Centre, with a large portion of its facility allocated to health and fitness training. The trainers provide wellness advice, at this place which has a well-equipped gym, an indoor swimming pool, and other facilities. In A’Ali too, a new wellness centre with the latest state of the art equipment and facilities is also being built, at the "King Hamad American Mission Hospital" scheduled to open in 2022.
The tie-up with Soza Health, a health tech company from UK, from October 2020, shows AMH’s willingness and readiness to promote preventative health strategies and lifestyle changes, in Bahrain. These health assessments, backed by years of medical research, show individuals where they stand on the wellness spectrum, and them make lifestyle interventions.
Role in US-Bahrain Relations ^.
The hospital has been a key link in Bahrain-US relations for about 120 years. In April 2018, addressing the American expatriate community in Bahrain, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had said:
The then US Ambassador to Bahrain Justin Siberell had also said "The United States’ relationship with Bahrain is one of our oldest and closest in the region. It began more than a century ago, with the arrival of a group of remarkable and selfless individuals who founded the American Mission Hospital in Manama. Their example – of service, kindness and friendship – provides the foundation upon which we have built our close bond."
On 27 September 2016, in New York City, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was presented the Samuel Zwemer award by the Reformed Church of America (RCA), in recognition of his prominent support of the American Mission Hospital and health services in general, in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as of His Majesty’s keenness to promote freedom of religion.
On behalf of the King of Bahrain, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa had received the award from RCA’s Secretary General Mr. Tom de Vries.
On 26 June 2019, when the King was being briefed about the hospital's expansion plans and its new building, coming up in A'ali, the King lauded AMH medical achievements over the past 120 years. He said, "AMH throughout its history has played a key role in promoting the historical relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of America".
AMH had also participated in “This is Bahrain” event held in Los Angeles in September 2017. It showcased the long history of Bahrain-US relationship through American Mission Hospital service for nearly 120 years by providing healthcare to the community of Bahrain.
The event in Los Angeles was organised under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and was attended, on his behalf, by the King’s representative for Charity Work and Youth Affairs Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Shaikh Nasser unveiled the details of King Hamad Global Centre for Inter-faith Dialogue and peaceful Co-existence on the occasion.
On an earlier occasion too, on 9 September 2013, the king of Bahrain hailed the strong historic cooperation between Bahrain and the USA, when he received the Chief Executive of the American Mission Hospital George Cheriyan and the hospital board members, at the Sakhir Palace.
With the US Naval Forces Central Command Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain, the hospital has been regularly visited by many US Ambassadors to Bahrain, Admirals and Vice Admirals. Several Americans, whether working for the Navy or in various other capacities in the country, often choose AMH for medical services.
Future Plans ^.
In October 2018, the hospital formally announced the construction of King Hamad American Mission Hospital (KHAMH) a new 100-bed multi-specialty hospital in A’Ali, in two phases. It is set to open in 2022. According to the hospital's corporate CEO, the new hospital is “a futuristic concept that will take us through the next 25 years. This is why we have introduced new ideas like a hybrid system - including medical robots and a helipad that we can rely on, as road traffic increases. The hospital will be full digitised and will also focus on providing medical intervention for people at home”.
Also, this new BD25m (US$66.3m) hospital will be the first eco-friendly solar-run hospital in Bahrain, according to LaingBuisson, the official provider of independent sector healthcare market data to the UK Government’s Office for National Statistics.
On 26 June 2019, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received the hospital leadership at his Qudaibiya Palace, in connection with this expansion project. And the king was briefed on the AMH future development programmes with a scale model and a photo album of the new AMH building structures.