Dear Friends,
As we reflect back on our achievements in recent years, we are humbled by your outpouring of support for Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. You have been and continue to be our beacon of inspiration, driving our progress toward healthier tomorrows. We thank you for your immeasurable generosity. May you be blessed with hope, peace, joy, and health in the New Year.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Prof. Ronni Gamzu, CEO, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
Ronit Blum, Director, Association of Friends
Donations at work
Treating pain for 50 years
Marvin and Philippa Carsley fund major Pain Institute renovation celebrating the facility’s golden anniversary
The Pain Institute celebrated its 50-year anniversary with a festive unveiling ceremony honoring Marvin and Philippa Carsley who generously donated to the institute’s renovation.
The ceremony was attended by the Carsleys, their family and friends, Prof. Ronni Gamzu, Prof. Gabi Barbash, Dr. Silviu Brill, Pain Institute Director, and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. Mayor Huldai highlighted in his speech that he was attending the event both as mayor and as a satisfied patient of the institute. The renovated institute features two state-of-the-art treatment rooms, testing rooms and a warm and a welcoming reception area.
Ronit Blum memorializes Rose Landschaft
Our dear friend Rose Landschaft, a committed donor to the Medical Center, passed away recently at the age of 90
Rose Landschaft was a cherished long-time supporter of the Medical Center, who, along with her late husband Henry, promoted many patient care initiatives. A care wing in the Sourasky Building is named in their honor.
Two years ago, Rose suffered a severe stroke, from which she did not recover.
I met Rose, a childless Holocaust survivor, about 20 years ago, shortly after I became the Director of the Friends of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. At the time, Rose was caring for Henry, who was ill and died shortly afterward. Rose continued to champion Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center causes long after Henry’s death.
Rose and Henry’s philanthropy dates back to the days of Medical Center CEO Prof. Dan Michaeli. Emeritus CEO Prof. Gabi Barbash and I were very attached to Rose and "adopted" her as a family member.
Rose was a true Zionist, splitting her time between Israel and Frankfurt, Germany. She claimed Israel as her home, explaining that her trips to Frankfurt were strictly for business purposes. I miss Rose more than words can express. Rose’s love for the State of Israel is cemented permanently in her choice to be buried in Nahalat Yitzhak next to her husband. May she rest in peace.
France ♥ Tel Aviv
Parisians show the Medical Center that the sky’s the limit in supporting emergency and erauma care in Tel Aviv
Nathalie Gunther, the Founder and Director of French Friends of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, who made aliyah just a year ago, has wasted no time in making her mark in her adopted homeland. With a talented team of organizers, including Zehava Khalifa, Sabine Cohen, Sophie Bismuth, and others, French Friends hosted a spectacular fundraiser in Paris in April to benefit the Medical Center.
The affair raised over $350,000 for essential equipment for the Emergency & Trauma Center. Nathalie emphasizes that this is just the first of many fundraising events that they are planning to help the Medical Center remain at the ready 24/7, with urgent response that can make the difference between life and death.
Investing in human capital
Four up-and-coming residents awarded Peyser-Wexler Ofek fellowships to expand their expertise with international training
In a moving ceremony, four outstanding medical residents were awarded Ofek Program fellowships sponsored by the Peyser-Wexler family – Ms. Lily and Prof. Reuven Peyser and Ms. Daniella Wexler. Prof. Peyser managed the maternity ward at Lis Maternity and Women’s Hospital and mentored many obstetricians and gynecologists during his tenure. His wife Lily is the sister of Daniella Wexler and the daughter of the late Emanuel Racine, who was also a great supporter of the Medical Center.
The honored recipients were:
Dr. Roy Gigi – Pediatric Orthopedics
Dr. Alexis Mitelpunkt – Pediatric Neurology
Dr. Ehud Chorin – Electrophysiology
Dr. Daniel Kedar – Plastic Surgery
Attending the ceremony were the medical residents’ mentors, department directors and members of the Ofek Committee, as well as CEO Prof. Ronni Gamzu, Dr. Gil Fire, Deputy Director General, and Ronit Blum, Director of the Friends of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Prof. Gamzu congratulated the recipients and thanked the Pfizer-Wexler family for their generous donation and commitment to medical excellence. He highlighted that the fellowships enable outstanding physicians in line for the next generation of Medical Center leadership to train at preeminent international medical centers and apply what they have learned upon their return.
The Parasol Women’s Cancer Research Center
Recent event launched the fellowship, scholarship, and research program that inspires women to spearhead the treatments of tomorrow
In September, the Parasol Women’s Cancer Research Center kicked off its formal programs for discovering insights and developing solutions to the cancers that plague women. The center awarded fellowships to seven dynamic physicians/researchers and dedicated a new research laboratory in the new Morris Kahn Center for Biomedical Research.
Three honorees received fellowships to study at centers of excellence abroad:
Dr. Sivan Shamai
Dr. Efrat Luttwak
Dr. Yael Raz
Four recipients were awarded research fellowships:
Dr. Tehillah Menes
Dr. Hagai Ligumsky
Dr. Anat Globerson
Dr. Rachel Grossman
By founding the Parasol Women’s Cancer Research Center, Ruth Parasol has taken a major proactive step in helping to close the gender gap that affects cancer research and treatments for women.
Fast-tracking cancer immunotherapy
The Reut Fund helps upgrade the cell therapy GMP facility to expand groundbreaking clinical research and treatment
Immunotherapy, in which patients’ immune cells are engineered to fight cancer, is the most progressive approach in oncology today. Prof. Zelig Eshhar, who heads the Medical Center’s Translational Immunotherapy Research Lab, is a pioneer in
CAR-T cell immunotherapy technology. The lab is expanding its therapy R&D to develop protocols for untreatable solid tumors and hematological cancers.
Major pharmaceutical companies that have also developed immunotherapy treatments, such as Novartis and Kite Pharma, have received FDA approval or expect approval in the near future. However, these treatments are expensive and will take years until authorized for use in Israel.
In the meantime, the Medical Center plans to provide these treatments to its patients as soon as possible. To obtain Ministry of Health approval to offer these therapeutic protocols, the Medical Center is upgrading its cell-handling facilities to operate in compliance with industry-standard good manufacturing practices (GMP). This certification will also enable the Medical Center to conduct research studies of several protocols simultaneously.
These essential upgrades have been made possible thanks to a generous donation by the Reut Fund, established by Mr. Boaz Dotan.
Pursuing the vision
Emergency and trauma care
Help fulfill our promise for patient-centered care and accelerated response with the Emergency Department expansion
The Medical Center has unveiled its plans for the new Emergency & Trauma Center, a major expansion and facelift of the current 20-year-old facility.
For patients visiting the ER in need of emergency care or to receive treatment for a serious illness, time is often of the essence. The new facility will enable the response team to pair its well-established medical best practices with reduced waiting, streamlined processing, and accelerated treatment times. The ultra-modern three-storey building will provide accommodations for patients and their families with privacy and compassion, which are cornerstones of the Medical Center’s vision.
The emergency and trauma care fundraising campaign offers a range of opportunities to support the project, which will benefit hundreds of thousands of patients every year.
A warm welcome for newborns
Make it possible for Lis Maternity and Women’s Hospital to get each new life off to a healthy start with a new sheltered nursery
Lis Maternity and Women’s Hospital has earned a reputation as the health center of choice for a personalized birthing experience for parents-to-be from Tel Aviv and beyond. Because of this great demand for care, the infant nursery is stretched beyond its capacity.
The new Newborn Care Center will give mothers and fathers the peace of mind that their bundle of joy will be cared for in a state-of-the-art nursery or neonatal intensive care unit, if necessary. The new spacious facility will extend the number of nursery beds. Given the reality that Tel Aviv is under ongoing threat of attack, parents will rest assured that their newborns will be secure, safeguarded from potential external bomb strikes.
Your honorary or memorial donation to the Newborn Care Center can help you meet your goals to perform acts of kindness by supporting infants in their first days of life.
New ambulatory surgery center
Promote convenience, comfort, and expedited outpatient operations for patients and their families
Setting a new standard in patient-centered care, the Medical Center is constructing a new outpatient surgery center with easy drop-off and pick-up from the main campus entrance. The facility is designed for procedures that typically don’t need an overnight stay, such as orthopedics, ophthalmology, urology, and a range of pediatric procedures.
Ambulatory surgeries help patients bounce back more quickly than inpatient operations do, and enable patients to return to their comfortable home settings and caring families immediately after surgery.
The Ambulatory Surgery Center will feature 10 ultra-modern operating suites, five of which will be specially designed for pediatric patients. The preparation room, recovery suite, and short-stay hospitalization suite will streamline patient flow and ensure optimal patient recovery. The spacious waiting accommodations will ease the burden on family members accompanying their loved ones to procedures.
With your financial support, the Medical Center can perform 10,000 more procedures per year.
Shedding light on cells
Join in discovering breakthrough diagnostics and treatments with the state-of-the-art flow cytometry cell sorter device
As one of the most important technologies in biomedical science, the flow cytometry cell sorter (FCCS) is the cornerstone of research in this era of single-cell analytics. It enables researchers to visually inspect, functionally test, genomically analyze, physically separate, and purify individual cells.
This gold-standard technology drives our ability to identify cancer cells in patient’s blood and cerebrospinal fluid. It can also monitor small changes in cell subsets following treatment in order to accelerate the determination of therapeutic effectiveness.
The Medical Center’s own Prof. Zelig Eshhar, winner of the Israel Prize for his cell therapy discoveries, plans to use the system to expand his cell purification and genetic engineering immunotherapy treatment, which has already cured hundreds of patients with hematological malignancies. His pioneering solution, which relies on FCCS technology, is expected to receive US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval later this year.
With the FCCS, Dr. Ilan Volovitz and Prof. Zvi Ram will broaden their study of brain-tumor-infiltrating immune cells to construct a model to predict patient response to a novel class of therapeutic drugs.
These are just a few examples of the applications planned for this invaluable resource. The Medical Center is seeking donors to help us purchase the flow cytometry cell sorter, which will be available facility-wide to advance research, diagnostics, and treatment on multiple fronts.
What’s new?
Great minds think alike
Baxter, the Medical Center, and Tel Aviv University collaborate to accelerate surgical solution development and roll-out
In July, Baxter, the prominent global healthcare product company, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, and Tel Aviv University announced their new partnership agreement to jointly develop and introduce new surgical innovations worldwide. Together, the new partners will explore potential applications of promising early-stage research in areas of unmet need.
One such breakthrough technology in the R&D portfolio is a regenerative nerve solution currently being tested to overcome current severe limitations in nerve repair. This treatment, which is in the testing stage, may open up a world of possibilities for patients with peripheral nerve or spinal cord injuries, enabling clinicians to treat paralysis, chronic pain, and limited mobility.
3D printing your way to health
Oncology patient gets just what the doctor ordered: personalized bone reconstruction with a surgical tool from a 3-dimensional printer
The Medical Center’s 3D Surgical Center, directed by Dr. Amir Sternheim and Dr. Solomon Dadia, with collaborative support from Synergy 3DMed, is rapidly transforming the field of surgical oncology. Over the past two years, the center has performed about 30 hyper-personalized bone replacement surgeries using three-dimensional planning and printing technologies, sparing patient’s joints and limbs and improving health outcomes.
A male patient was recently diagnosed with malignant chondrosarcoma, a rare cancerous tumor of the bone and soft tissue. This tumor, which does not respond to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, was located in the patient’s arm, close to his shoulder joint. The 3D team planned, designed, and 3D-printed a patient-specific cutting tool to perfect surgery. The cancerous bone was removed and a tissue-banked bone segment and stainless steel plate were introduced to reconstruct the arm, eliminating the need for drastic amputation or disfiguring surgery.
The 3D tool dramatically simplified the procedure and boosted surgical accuracy. The patient is expected to return to full activity within a few weeks.
The heart of the matter
A 70-year-old man underwent Israel’s first minimally invasive Tiara heart valve implantation
Patients needing heart-valve replacement who were considered high risk and ineligible for open heart surgery had few or no treatment options until recently.
In the first procedure of its kind in Israel, the multidisciplinary team of surgeons, cardiologists, and anesthesiologists headed by Dr. Yanai Ben-Gal, succeeded in implanting the Tiara valve in a 70-year-old patient who suffered from a failing valve complicated by congestive heart failure. This procedure, which introduced the valve through the patient’s heart apex, was performed using real-time cardiac imaging. The Medical Center team performed the surgery as part of an international clinical trial being conducted by leading medical centers worldwide.
Campus-wide GPS system
Navigating your way to an appointment is now as easy as A-P-P
Centers of excellence provide patients progressive care across the medical disciplines. However, along with dozens of specialties, clinics, institutes, and departments comes the complexity of finding one’s way to the right building, floor, and office. To help visitors get to their destinations, the Medical Center is rolling out a campus-wide mobile navigation app. Through the app, users can also schedule appointments, view their medical record, and find a doctor, or locate a campus café for a healthy snack before their appointment.
On-campus apartments
A festive ribbon-cutting celebrates the opening of the iLIVE residential tower dedicated to housing staff members
This month's opening ceremony for the iLIVE apartment building was the culmination of a decade-long plan to provide comfortable and affordable housing for employees near their workplaces. Attending the event were Health Minister MK Rabbi Yakov Litzman, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Prof. Ronni Gamzu, Prof. Gabi Barbash, and apartment residents and their families. The mezuzah was affixed and attendees took a grand tour of the 29-storey, 274-unit apartment complex.
One-third of iLIVE tower residents will be doctors, one-third will be nurses, and one-third will be allied health, management, and support personnel. The tower's proximity to the Medical Center will enable team members to save precious commuting time and arrive quickly in case of an emergency, such as a natural disaster or terror attack.
New medical services
Golden years; golden treatment
Personalized care pilot program dedicates geriatric-care teams to patients throughout the hospital
With the increase in life expectancy in Israel, more people will need geriatric medical care. Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center is launching a long-awaited pilot program to closely track and manage care for elderly patients in all disciplines. In addition, the Medical Center is constructing two new units dedicated to geriatric medical services.
CEO Prof. Ronni Gamzu says, “Our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents deserve optimal treatment in a supportive environment tailored to their age. Older patients are more vulnerable to falls, confusion and declined function during hospitalization. Our program is aimed at dealing with this reality.” Prof. Gamzu concludes, “We expect that once this care model proves itself, the Israeli healthcare system and other Israeli care centers will follow suit.”
Low-radiation imaging for kids
Scanning children who suffer from bone and spine conditions with more accuracy and comfort – at dramatically reduced radiation
Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital has just made 3D scanning easier and safer for kids. The hospital recently installed the EOS system, the country’s first low-radiation scanner, based on Nobel Prize-winning physics technology.
The EOS system creates orthopedic x-ray images using 50 to 85 percent less radiation than traditional scanners, with the ability to also create 3D reconstructions with 95 percent less radiation than CT scanners – at the same or better quality. This breakthrough is especially important for pediatric patients who must undergo frequent imaging tests.
Dr. Dror Ovadia, Director of Pediatric Orthopedics, explains, “This type of scan presents the entire area in a single image, with a much more precise picture of the skeleton, which is essential for diagnosis and treatment planning.” The quicker procedure time and the ability to stand for the scan make the children happier, too.
Sports Medicine
Program tailors health screening and consultation to complement athletes’ workout regimens
Regardless of whether you are a weekend athlete, pro player or extreme sport enthusiast, knowing your capabilities is as important as training. This is why the Sports Medicine Center offers health screening, lifestyle consulting, and training planning for all athletic levels. Dr. Assaf Ray, Screening Program Director, explains, “Workout intensity should match your abilities and increase gradually. Nutrition is also an essential element of the work-out plan.
The health assessment screens for common medical conditions that could cause medical complications during exercise.
As Dr. Ray highlights, "Sports activity lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer. Exercise even helps prevent Alzheimer's disease and depression. However, there are too many cases of injury and medical problems caused by exercise. These situations can be prevented with the help of an innovative prescreening and risk assessment before you hit the gym, the pool, or the field.”
A round of applause
Accreditation excellence
The Medical Center received one of the highest scores worldwide for quality and safety from Joint Commission International
In June of this year, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center was once again awarded prestigious accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI), the global organization that certifies hospitals for quality and safety. This Gold Seal of Approval® is the most stringent certificate awarded to hospitals throughout the world, reflecting the highest standard of excellence in medical care.
JCI’s survey leader stated that the Medical Center is recognized worldwide for its outstanding world-class medical, nursing, and support staff, and that the Medical Center’s extraordinary success raises the bar for the organization itself and for all the hospitals around the world.
Research excellence
A healthy pregnancy
Over 50% of all recurrent miscarriages are due to random chromosomal abnormality with the fetus
Insights from a 10-year genetic study may help parents-to-be who have had one or more miscarriages rest easier. The study showed that more than half of the time, repeat miscarriages are caused by a random chromosomal abnormality with the fetus.
Prof. Yuval Yaron, head of LisHospital’s Prenatal Diagnosis Unit, led the research, which showed that most spontaneous abortions are not due to conditions inherited from the parents.
Prof. Yaron says, “The identification of a chromosomal disorder can eliminate the need for complex and costly examinations or drug treatments.” By focusing on the main causes of miscarriages, expectant parents and their physicians can target the actual risk factors in order to improve the chances of a successful pregnancy. Yaron adds, “If a hereditary chromosomal disorder is discovered, couples can undergo pre-implantation genetic embryo testing to choose only healthy oocytes for implantation via in-vitro fertilization.”
If the miscarriage was due to a randomized chromosomal disorder, Prof. Yaron explains, “There is no need to expand the investigation; the couple can try to conceive again without additional investigation or treatment.”
Epigenetics: The key to prevention
New epigenetics center to sponsor joint Israeli-Australian research to prevent or reverse metabolic diseases and conditions of aging
The Medical Center will soon be launching its latest center of excellence, the Sagol Center for Epigenetics of Metabolism and Aging. The center’s research will focus on how factors related to metabolic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and aging, make changes that impact our genes and how these changes be prevented or reversed.
The center, headed by Prof. Naftali Stern, Director of the Institute of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Hypertension at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, will work in partnership with Monash University in Australia, specifically the team headed by the world-leader in diabetes research, Prof. Paul Zimmet, who will serve as program Co-Director.
The objective is to improve quality of life and extend life expectancy by seeking ways to minimize the negative impact that environmental and lifestyle factors, such as pollution and nutrition, have on aging and morbidity.
Making pain history
A potential novel therapy on the horizon for chronic pain sufferers – breakthrough neurofeedback research sponsored by Avy Lugassy
Patients suffering from chronic pain, such as the millions of people with fibromyalgia, have often grasped at straws in search of a solution to stop their widespread bodily pain and other debilitating symptoms. Dr. Haggai Sharon is conducting a neurofeedback therapy trial, which empowers patients to potentially take control by regulating their brain function.
This EEG-based, brain-directed method works by measuring brain activity and showing it to the patient as a signal, such as a sound or symbol on a screen, that the patient can learn to change.
Preliminary unpublished results using a small patient sample show that the technique not only reduces pain but also provides better REM sleep, reduced anxiety and condition severity, and improvement in overall health.
An expanded clinical trial with more participants and brain-imaging-based testing is being planned in hopes of developing and applying a clinical standard of practice for broader pain applications.
