Our mission is to prepare family physicians to serve as leaders in urban health care. Family practice is based upon a biopsychosocial approach that integrates the psychological, social, economic, and environmental influences on a person's health with biomedical causes. Our residency program builds on the comprehensiveness of family practice with an emphasis on the particular needs of medically underserved communities.

The population we serve is diverse and requires specific skills and understanding. A sensitivity to specific cultural nuances is crucial to providing optimal care for our patients.Our residency program also offers preparation to those of our residents who plan to assume leadership positions within healthcare or to work in academic medicine.

The Institute for Family Health was established as a non-profit organization in 1983. In 1993, the Institute joined with Beth Israel Medical Center to open the Beth Israel Department of Family Medicine. The Beth Israel Residency in Urban Family Practice opened as the first full hospital Department of Family Medicine in Manhattan. It is now a 24-resident family practice residency program managed by the Institute for Family Health in collaboration with Beth Israel Medical Center.