The hospital honors Dr. Joseph Meir (1890-1955) who completed his medical studies in Vienna and served in the Austrian army during World War I. Meir published his first article in a Viennese journal in which he stated that medicine should be organized as an equal public service aimed at improving health levels of the population at large.  A strong opponent of the elitist private health care then prevailing, he remained true to this principle throughout his career and upon settling in Israel during the Third Aliya, he devoted himself to establishing his ideal of public medical care in his new homeland. Meir can therefore be considered the founder of Israel’s proud tradition of public health care.

Meir first worked as a general practitioner in Ben Shemen, Atlit , Kineret and Deganya. In 1928, he was appointed medical director of the Clalit Helath Fund, a post he held until the establishment of the state. Among his many contributions: he defined the operations of the fund which underscored the importance of prioritizing the needs of the family, children and youth within the community.

Under his direction, the approach was adopted of making health fund hospitals medical centers and community clinics, professional centers. The battle against TB was another cornerstone of his lifework.
In 1935, he launched a medical newspaper for doctors. He also initiated and edited the Clalit Health Fund newspaper . In 1945, Meir was appointed director of the health ministry of pre-state Israel – a position he held for two years.