The American Hospital Of Paris: America’s Hospital in Europe
The history of the American Hospital Of Paris as an American institution in France is unique. Thanks to its serving as a resource to French, American, and international patients for over 100 years; to providing fundamental aid to France during the two World Wars; and to its role in bringing America and France together through the sharing of expertise and best practices, the American Hospital of Paris has become one of the world’s leading symbols of Franco-American friendship and cooperation.
American Hospital of Paris School, WWI
Located on the site of one of Louis XV’s summer homes in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a pleasant suburb on the western boundary of Paris, the American Hospital Of Paris is a welcoming medical facility for Americans living, and traveling, in Europe. When it opened in 1910, the hospital represented the desire of Americans living in Paris to have the benefits of the best of American medicine. While they enjoyed the opportunities afforded them by living in the French capital, they wanted to have access to American medical practices and English-speaking doctors, neither of which was available prior to this.
American Hospital of Paris Entrance, 1920 - 1943
To that end, the Association of the American Hospital of Paris was created in 1906 by several members of that community. They envisioned a Paris-based hospital that would provide them with American-based medical care in their own language regardless of their financial means. Today, the hospital continues to provide that access to American citizens who are residents as well as to American citizens in Paris on vacation.
Nurses in Front of Ambulance, 1940 - 1964
In 1913, the facility was granted a special federal charter and was incorporated by a special act of congress. It quickly gained a reputation for its fine care and superior staff, services, and technology. Since its incorporation, the American Hospital of Paris has been an extension of U.S. diplomacy, bringing the American and international communities together in a way no other institution does. It is the place where European and American medical science, technology, and physicians come together and where medical experts and specialists from around the world come to learn its management and diagnostic techniques.
During the span of both world wars, the American Hospital of Paris treated over 100,000 allied soldiers, including thousands of French soldiers. In 1918, the French Government designated the facility an institution of public benefit and gave it privileges and status not shared by any other French hospital. One of these privileges is the ability to appoint American physicians to the staff based on their U.S. credentials and training.
The American Hospital of Paris is the international affiliate of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, a world-class academic medical center committed to excellence in all areas. This affiliation allows for the exchange of crucial medical and scientific resources and information between Europe and the United States.
American Hospital of Paris, Exterior, Future
American Hospital of Paris, Present
The American Hospital Of Paris provides high-quality care for nearly all major medical specialties through its 350 physicians and its continuing efforts to offer patients the latest and most advanced medical and diagnostic equipment. Patients from over 110 countries have been treated over the years at the American Hospital of Paris, a testament to its commitment to offer maximum safety of care, which is exemplified by its accreditation by the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) and the U.S. Joint Commission. In 2017 and 2018, the American Hospital of Paris was recognized by the HAS as the number one facility in France in terms of patient satisfaction among medical, surgical, and obstetrical establishments.
Over the century plus that it has been offering outstanding medical care, the American Hospital of Paris has expanded by adding new buildings; increasing patient services; and adding competent staff, including French and American doctors and bilingual nurses. As the needs of patients have changed, the institution has enlarged and modernized to meet them.
As a private, nonprofit organization, the American Hospital of Paris receives no subsidies from the French or American governments, relying on revenues from operations and on the generosity of patients, donors, and patrons in order to continue its mission of bringing together the best in French and American medicine. In 1976, the American Hospital of Paris Foundation was founded. Since then, it’s been the link between the hospital and the United States and has raised funds to procure new technologies and improve facilities. The foundation also creates programs to continue to encourage the vital exchange of medical ideas and resources between the United States and France.
Vision for Tomorrow
The strategic vision developed in 2017 by hospital leadership—governors, doctors, and administration—is designed to help meet an extraordinary ambition: to place the American Hospital of Paris among the top five international hospitals in Europe by 2022.
This vision requires that the Hospital:
Continues providing the best of French and American medicine
This dual identity is the foundation of the hospital’s medical excellence.
Becomes a true health partner
The integration of prevention, early detection, medical care, and post-therapeutic support illustrates the hospital’s commitment to developing integrative medicine based on a comprehensive and personalized approach.
Guarantees the best patient experience
The hospital offers unrivaled medical excellence with the best diagnostic tools and therapies; the full involvement of patients in the decision-making and treatment process; a personalized relationship where each patient is followed by their referring physician and health navigator; and premium, personalized hospitality services adapted to particular cultures, needs, and expectations.
Since its founding in 1976, the American Hospital of Paris Foundation has played a vital role in representing the hospital in the United States. The foundation is committed to raising funds to strengthen the hospital’s ties with its partners in the United States and France, which include New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Université Paris-Descartes. The foundation’s ongoing support of the medical exchange program ensures that the American Hospital of Paris remains at the forefront of French and American medicine through the organization of joint scientific symposiums; physician, nursing and medical-student exchange; and research and academic collaborations.
With over a hundred years of caring and healing behind it, the American Hospital of Paris will continue to be America’s hospital in Europe with the help of its friends and supporters around the globe for many more years to come.
American Hospital of Paris, Ambulatory Care, Future