Lakewood, NJ – CHEMED Health, the region’s leader in community-based healthcare, hosted its annual Medical and Ethics Conference, drawing more than 1,000 participants, including physicians, nurses, medical students, rabbanim, and healthcare leaders for an intensive, multi-day gathering exploring the intersection of medicine, ethics, and Halacha.

The conference opened Thursday evening with an inspiring keynote lecture by Rav Sholom Kamenetsky, titled “AI, Autonomy, and Halacha: How Jewish Law Approaches the Future of Decision Making.” His address set the tone for a program focused on navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of modern medicine through the lens of timeless ethical and Torah-based principles.

Over the course of the conference, attendees participated in 52 lectures featuring prominent rabbinic authorities, academic leaders, and medical professionals. Notable presenters included Rabbi Doctor Aaron E. Glatt, Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz, Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz, Rav Professor Avrohom Steinberg, and Dr. Isaac Schechter, among many others, who addressed a wide range of clinical, ethical, and policy-related topics shaping contemporary healthcare practice.

On Motzei Shabbos, a highlight of the conference was a special question-and-answer session with Rav Asher Weiss שליט״א, who traveled from Eretz Yisroel for the occasion. Rav Weiss opened his remarks with warm and effusive praise for CHEMED and for Dr. Dovid Friedman’s leadership and vision before engaging attendees in an in-depth discussion of complex medical halachic scenarios, offering guidance that reflected both rigorous scholarship and real-world clinical sensitivity.

The conference concluded with a major announcement from Dr. Dovid Friedman, CEO of CHEMED, who, together with the Medical Village development team, presented a comprehensive vision for CHEMED’s next chapter through a special video unveiling of The Medical Village — a transformative outpatient healthcare campus designed to redefine coordinated care for the region.

The Medical Village represents CHEMED’s most ambitious initiative to date — a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated outpatient campus that will bring more than 50 medical specialties together under one coordinated system. The campus will include primary care, pediatric and adult subspecialties, dental services, behavioral health, women’s health, advanced diagnostic radiology, an ambulatory surgery center, and a standalone emergency department, all designed to provide seamless, high-level care within a single environment.

“For nearly two decades, CHEMED has been committed to expanding access to quality care,” said Dr. Friedman. “The Medical Village reflects our next step forward — building a future-ready healthcare model that integrates specialty medicine, academic training, and coordinated care delivery to serve our rapidly growing community.”

Beyond its clinical scope, the campus will also feature dedicated educational space for medical students and residents, strengthening training opportunities and advancing the level of academic medicine in the region.

With record attendance, a robust educational program, and the unveiling of a transformative healthcare initiative, this year’s conference underscored CHEMED’s dual commitment: advancing medical excellence while grounding healthcare delivery in enduring ethical and community-centered values.