Abstract
In accordance with the recommendation of the Mann Committee established by the Israel Medical Association a centre for family medicine serving 11 villages was established at Beit Shemesh, Israel, in 1970; this was affiliated with the department of internal medicine at Hadassah University Hospital. The centre's doctors have become fully-fledged members of the department, and have full access to its resources and participate actively in its service, teaching, and research activities. They teach family medicine to students at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School and have the same academic responsibilities and privileges as all other faculty members. This affiliation has raised the standard of the health service provided.