Decades before Beth Israel and Deaconess hospitals came together as Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, each was a leader in health care with a long history of personalized patient care and community service. In 1896, as part of their missionary charter, Methodist deaconesses founded Deaconess Hospital to care for the city's residents. In 1916, Beth Israel Hospital was established by the Boston Jewish community to meet the needs of the growing immigrant population.