Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Milestones

Founded in 1914 by Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America

October 1, 2024

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Milestones

1899	Sha'ar Zion Hospital opens in Jaffa, and closes approximately a year later due to disputes regarding the observance of Jewish dietary laws
1914	Laying of the cornerstone of Hadassah Hospital in Nahalat Binyamin, Tel Aviv
1918	Opening of Hadassah Hospital in Nahalat Binyamin
1921	Hadassah Hospital treats people wounded in the riots of 1920–1921
1925	Laying of the cornerstone for Hadassah Balfour Hospital on Balfour Street
1926	Opening of Hadassah Balfour Hospital, which is run by theש Hadassah Medical Organization
1931	Hadassah Balfour Hospital is transferred to the authority and management of the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality
1933	Haim Arlosoroff is assassinated. His body is taken to Hadassah Balfour Hospital
1940	When Italian aircraft bomb Tel Aviv, the wounded are taken to Hadassah Balfour Hospital
1948–1949	The War of Independence Hadassah Balfour Hospital treats people wounded in the war
1949	Internal Medicine Department C begins operations in the German school in the Sarona colony, becoming the first medical department to function in the location that will later become Yosef Serlin ("Hakirya") Maternity Hospital
1951	Yosef Serlin ("Hakirya") Maternity Hospital opens
1953	Construction of Ichilov Hospital continues after having been interrupted due to funding problems
1961	Ichilov Hospital opens in Tel Aviv
1967	The municipal Hadassah hospitals are transferred to the joint authority of the municipality and the government
1967	Dedication of the Schoenbrun Nursing School
March 1973	Hadassah Balfour Hospital renamed for former mayor and interior minister Israel Rokach
June 1973	The Friends of Ichilov Hospital Association, the Israeli government, and the Tel Aviv municipality sign an agreement to name the hospital the Sourasky Medical Center
October 1973	The Yom Kippur War begins. Wounded troops are treated at the Medical Center
1978	Wounded victims of the Coastal Road massacre are taken to the Medical Center for treatment
1980	The finance minister and the health minister decide to consolidate the three municipal hospitals and name the new institution the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
April 1980	Dedication of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center The outpatient clinics are transferred from the Hadar Dafna building to the new building. Dedication of the Ida Sourasky Rehabilitation Center building
1986	Laying of the cornerstone for Dana Hospital; establishment of the Executive Health Program
January 1991	The Medical Center treats 192 people wounded during the Gulf War
October 1991	Dana Children's Hospital dedicated
1992	The Rokach Hospital is closed, and all of its departments are transferred to the Tel Aviv Medical Center complex on Weizmann Street
1994	Bombing attacks in Tel Aviv. Approximately 240 people wounded in the bombings of Buses 5 and 20 and at Dizengoff Center are treated at the Medical Center
	Trauma Center and National Orthopedic Oncology Department established
March 1994 December 1994	Incident involving accidental oxygen pipeline disconnection First kidney transplant takes place
January 1995	Risk Management Department established
March 1995	New emergency room dedicated
	Advanced endoscopic surgery unit dedicated
November 1995	Assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He is treated at the Medical Center after suffering gunshot wounds
1996	The trauma unit is renamed for Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in a ceremony attended by King Hussein of Jordan, Prime Minister Shimon Peres, and Mrs. Leah Rabin
July 1997	Hakirya Hospital is moved, and Lis Maternity Hospital opens
September 1997	Cornerstone for Arison Tower is laid in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and donor Ted Arison
February 1998	Neonatal Department established
May 1998	Construction on hospital tower begins
June 1998	Dedication of Internal Medicine Department H
August 1998	Dedication of gynecology clinics
September 1998	Shustiel Urgent Care Unit and Claridge Israel Emergency Room opened; clinical research center opened
October 1998	Wohl Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center (MRI) opened
	Interventional Cardiology Unit opened
November 1998	New post-surgery recovery unit opened
April 1999	Blood bank opens in its new building; intensive surgery department opens at Dana Hospital
August 1999	Pediatric Intensive Care Unit opens in its new building
November 1999	Dedication of the new AIDS center
January 2000	Laboratory center opens
February 2000	Online community health forum, To the Community's Health, opens
May 2000	Chronic Fatigue Syndrome clinic opens
June 2000	Breast imaging center opens
July 2000	Southern and northern parking areas open
September 2001	Surgical Division B is moved to the medical tower
November 2001	The Medical Center's website goes live
December 2001	Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) introduced; hospital entrance hall and commercial center open
January 2002	Ted Arison Medical Tower inaugurated
January 2002	Surgical Department A and trauma unit are moved to the medical tower
February 2002	Opening of the mobility laboratory at Dana Hospital
May 2002	Orthopedics Department A and B are moved to the tower; PET-CT machine brought into the Isotope Institute
December 2002	Natural Birthing Center opened
January 2003	Neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, and bone-marrow transplant departments moved to the tower
April 2003	Computerized hospital management system goes into continuous operation
June 2003	Information and appointment scheduling center opens
November 2003	Landing pad completed; injured people brought in by air for the first time
January 2004	Linear particle accelerator brought into the Radiation Institute; TARGET financial auditing system for efficient hospital operation inaugurated
June 2004	Picture Archive Communication System (PACS) introduced. PACS enables computerized viewing, saving, and storage of images obtained via MRI, CT, and ultrasound, obviating the need for printing the images. Dedication of new synagogue in memory of the Jews of Krasnik and the surrounding area
January 2005	The Avivim Department for patients requiring nursing care and post-operative recovery is opened
June 2005	The cardiology department is upgraded: the clinics are moved into a new and spacious building, two new stent laboratories are built, and a cardiological day-hospitalization center is opened
September 2005	The Tel Aviv Medical Center wins first place in the Council for a Beautiful Israel's competition for the best-looking hospital
September 2005	The hospital entrance is dedicated; computerized information screens are placed near the operating rooms, enabling real-time tracking of patients' conditions
December 2005	The hospital's main boulevard, named for President Chaim Herzog, is dedicated; the Radiation Institute is reopened after renovation and upgrading
February 2006	The Nephrology Department and Internal Medicine Department 2 are moved to their new locations
April 2006	MommyLis Maternity Club opens; operating rooms are computerized
May 2006	My Net online portal goes live
September 2006	Tel Aviv Medical Center and Micromedic Technologies sign agreement for the first study of its kind for developing a diagnostic product for detecting cancer of the large intestine; public information campaign on washing hands as a disease-prevention method launched
	New interventional (angiography) radiology unit opened; dedication of new pulmonary institute, ICU, and pediatric sleep-disturbance center at Dana Hospital
January 2007	Dying Patient Law passed
March 2007	Additional operating room opened at Lis Maternity and Women's Hospital
May 2007	The "Classical Treatment" program, which brings music to hospital patients, is launched in collaboration with Tel Aviv University's Buchmann-Mehta School of Music; the oncology day-treatment unit is moved to its new building on the tenth floor of the tower
June 2007	A computerized hospital management system is introduced into the medical center's laboratories
July 2007	The Urology Department and Ophthalmology Department move to their new quarters on the eleventh floor; the renovated emergency room is opened at Dana Hospital
August 2007	The cornerstone for the Sammy Ofer Heart Center is laid; the Sammy Ofer Science Library is opened on the twelfth floor of the tower
February 2008	The Pseudotumor Cerebri Center opens
April 2008	Establishment of the Center for Complementary Care and Integrative Medicine at the Oncology Institute; MommyLis established as forum with membership
May 2008	Building M is vacated and demolished to prepare for the construction of the Sammy Ofer Heart Center; emergency room opened at Dana-Dwek Hospital
June 2009	Client Relationship Management (CRM) protocol implemented to improve service and patient treatment; Emergency fast-track service launched
September 2009	Tel Aviv Medical Center's beWell program launched to promote preventive medicine and public health
October 2009	Endocrinology Institute moved to its new quarters on the thirteenth floor of the Arison Tower
January 2010	Service-improvement workshops for the medical staff are begun
February 2010	Pediatric intensive care unit wins the Israel Society for Quality award, presented by the President of the State of Israel
June 2010	Orthopedic Division established. Dana Hospital clinics are moved to their new quarters in the Rehabilitation Building. MybeWell service, which provides individual medical information online, is launched
November 2010	Tel Aviv Medical Center wins first prize and the Beautification Flag in the Council for a Beautiful Israel's competition for the best-looking hospital
January 2011	New General Rehabilitation Department opened
February 2011	All surgical departments are brought into the General Surgery Division, directed by Professor Joseph Klausner
March 2011	Sammy Ofer Heart Building and Emergency Underground Hospital dedicated
April 2011	Natural Birthing Center opened at Lis Maternity Hospital
May 2011	The Center for Aesthetic Medicine opened
July 2011	The Pediatric Hemato-oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Department is moved to its new quarters in Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital
January 2012	The Terem Ichilov emergency clinic opens in Bnei Brak
March 2012	The Center for Women's Health opens at Lis Maternity Hospital
June 2012	A delegation of physicians from the Medical Center, headed by Professor Gabi Barbash, goes to Burgas, Bulgaria, to treat the people wounded in the terror attack. Seven people are treated at the Tel Aviv Medical Center on their arrival in Israel.
July 2012	Officials of the Tel Aviv Medical Center sign a collaboration agreement with officials of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the third-largest hospital in the United States
January 2013	The American Parkinson's Disease Association recognizes the Center for the Study of Movement, Cognition, and Mobility as an internationally outstanding center in the field of Parkinson's Disease, and awards it a special grant of $60,000 per year for five years to promote high-quality patient care
January 2013	Opening of the Marot Center for the diagnosis and treatment of social and communication disorders and the diagnosis and treatment of children and teenagers on the autistic spectrum in the Institute for Child Development at Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital
April 2013	The "Ichilov" television series premiers on the Yes Docu channel
January 2014	The Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov) receives the Joint Commission International's Gold Seal of Approval for quality and safety
February 2014	Novartis Oncology chooses the Oncology Division's Clinical Research Unit as the first center in Israel to conduct Phase I research for oncology translational medicine, including first-in-human trials
January 2015	Opening of bacteriotherapy service for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and hospital-acquired infections
May 2015	New Multidisciplinary Center for Congenital Bone Diseases and Bone Health in Children and Adolescents opens at Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital; construction begins on staff residential tower
August 2015	Professor Ronni Gamzu is appointed director of Tel Aviv Medical Center, replacing Professor Gabi Barbash
September 2015	Professor Gabi Barbash leaves the post of director of the Tel Aviv Medical Center after 22 years of service
January 2016	Department of Voluntary Hospitalization opened in the Medical Center's Psychiatry Division
March 2016	Launch of the Medical Center's vision for "Medical Excellence and Compassionate Care"
April 2016	Top Master's in Healthcare Administration, an American medical site, ranks Dana-Dwek Hospital 19th on their list of the world's most technologically advanced hospitals
September 2016	Cerebrovascular Disease (Stroke) Department established
December 2016	Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital celebrates its 25th anniversary
January 2017	The Special Patient Escort Program, which allows a person accompanying the patient to be present when the patient is given information, is launched
March 2017	My Dana: The Family Health Center (which also provides well-baby care as part of the Tipat Halav network) opens on Dizengoff Street
June 2017	The Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov) again receives Joint Commission International's Gold Seal of Approval for quality and safety
September 2017	The Morris Kahn Center for Research in Personalized Medicine is opened on the tenth floor of the Sammy Ofer Heart Building
September 2017	The staff residential tower is dedicated
January 2018	Geriatric Internal Medicine Department A opens
February 2018	Opening of the Sagol Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and the Nacht Oncology Department and Day Care Unit in the Sammy Ofer Heart Building
March 2018	Gedalya Doron Information and Service Center opens
April 2018	Opening of the renovated Pediatric Intensive-Care Unit in Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital
October 2018	Opening of the M.T.S – Medical Technology Simulation Center
March 2019	Opening The Department of Thoracic surgery
March 2020	Opening Covid-19 departments
May 2020	Launching of the 'Ichilov Well' - PCR, Serological Examination
August 2020	Opening of the HPB - Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary center of surgery
December 2020	Laying a cornerstone for the new Emergency Medical hospital
January 2021	Launching of the Medical innovation and entrepreneurship center - IMED
June 2022	Launching of The Sleep Medicine Institute
October 2021	Launching of the 'Ichilov Home' services
January 2022	Launching of The Institute for Hyperbaric oxygen therapy - hyperbaric chamber
July 2202	Launching of The Sylvan Adams Emergency Hospital
January 2022	Opening of the 'Lev Fatal - Ichilov' hotel or family members and patients
September 2023	Opening of the HOFOM Center children and youth in mental crisis
October 2023	Haravot Barzel
October 2023	Opening of the protected underground emergency hospital
October 2023	Opening of B'shvilam- Hospital Rehabilitation Line Front Ichilov
November 2024	First reception of returnees released as part of the hostage release agreement.
February 2024	Opening of the “Kisufim” Surgical Complex at Ichilov, featuring 10 state-of-the-art operating rooms.
March 2024	Launch of the Assif Center for Trauma and Post-Trauma Care.
March 2024	Ichilov selected as one of only six centers worldwide to conduct trials of targeted radiation therapy for cancer cells.
March 2024	Ichilov ranked first in the Ministry of Health’s research performance indicators.
November 2024	Change of hospital leadership: Prof. Eli Sprecher appointed as CEO of the medical center.
March 2025	Ichilov again ranked first in the Ministry of Health’s research performance indicators.
June 2025	Activation of emergency mode and the underground emergency hospital during Operation “Am Kelavi.”