Happy New Year from American Friends of Soroka Medical Center – May you be inscribed for a year of good health!

It is my pleasure to wish all of our friends a happy and healthy New Year. We give thanks to all of our dear supporters and friends, and look forward to a wonderful year ahead, of accomplishments and deep fulfillment, enjoyed in peace and good health.

Since summer 2014, when Soroka expertly delivered urgent medical care for the wounded of Operation Protective Edge, we received a groundswell of thanks and appreciation from all of Israel and its supporters. We are so proud of the immense professionalism and dedication of all of the Soroka staff for their heroic efforts in saving the lives and healing the wounds of so many during Operation Protective Edge. By necessity we have analyzed our infrastructure and created our Master Plan, to assure that Soroka is always as prepared as possible for the future. Key observations include:

- Our overriding commitment to Quality and Preparation yields outstanding results, measured in lives saved;

- We must urgently expand our Trauma Center, already Israel’s busiest, to meet predicted surges in demand due to demographic shifts and geo-political concerns;

- Expanding our Neonatal Intensive Care facility and “protecting” it must be commenced immediately - so that the unit can function seamlessly in the face of missile attack.

We are extremely proud of Soroka Medical Center for its extraordinary role in caring for Israel’s wounded – we are entrusted with the role of “Israel’s Iron Dome for Health” and strive to prepare for all the challenges ahead. During Operation Protective Edge, Soroka Medical Center treated 0ver 1,200 wounded, including 775 IDF Soldiers. This holiday season we pray for peace and for the security of Israel, America and all mankind. Your generous contributions to Soroka helps us achieve all of our goals – including our most urgent capital projects. With the support and generosity of our friends, Soroka will be prepared for the future.

With our warmest regards, and best wishes for a happy,
healthy and peaceful new year,

Consul General Ido Aharoni delivered Keynote Address

A sincere thank-you to the wonderful committee that hosted a magical night to benefit Soroka’s Emergency Room and Trauma Center expansion. Over 300 guests who gathered at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel were moved by Dr. Amit Frenkel’s presentation – a personal account of providing intensive care medicine to dozens of the most severely wounded during Operation Protective Edge. An emotional highlight of the evening was when IDF member Daniel Fish took the stage, to give personal thanks to the doctor who saved his life and limbs. Media star Dan Abrams served as MC, revealing great warmth and passion for Soroka’s mission. Another emotional highlight was Dudu Fisher singing the Hatikvah. Danielle Goz sang the Star Spangled Banner. Dr. Lynne Quittell presented the Inspirational Leadership award to Rabbi David Greenberg, senior rabbi at Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford. Brigadier General Dr. Daniel Gold received the Defender of Israel Award.

The Committee was led by Caroline Frieidfertig, Ruth Steinberg , Ken Abramowitz, Nino Zaridze, Sabine Poisson, Lori Parks, Ronnit Vasserman, Gabrielle Stern, Marilyn Kane, Hillel Caplan, and Judy Grant. Fundraising continues for this urgent development project, to meet the needs of the residents of the Negev and the IDF. Please contact the office for further information, and to join the 2016 committee!

Dr. Nirit Rosenblum, Dr. Elon Granader, Judy Grant	Christine Kornreich & Adam Glazer	Tamar Davidson, Mindy Gale, Marc Bennett	Robert Levin, Alyse Kobin, Julie Meridy, Steven Hirth, Mimi Kapiloff, Nino Zaridze

Nira Abramowitz, Ken Abramowitz, Max Abramowitz, Caroline Freidfertig, Sabine Poisson	Pedro Lichtinger, Iracilda Lichtinger, Angela Retelny	Gidon Freidfertig, Danielle Goz	Simi Teitelbaum, Dudu Fisher

Hillel Caplan, Joanne Caplan	Dr. Amit Frenkel, Daniel Fish - honorees	Dan Abrams and Dr. Joel Sheinfeld	Rabbi David Greenberg

“Soroka’s staffs lead in the quality of medical care, compliance with goals indicative of proper, timely, professional medical treatment and team work”.

Last week the Ministry of Health published for the first time the achievements of the general hospitals in Israel in four quality indexes:

Soroka Medical Center fully complied with all the objectives set by the Ministry of Health in all four of its indexes.

Soroka placed first or second in the ranking for all the indexes examined.

The rating is based on compliance with the goals expressing proper, timely and professional treatment. It takes into account the level of multidisciplinary and integrated teamwork in all the medical fields offered at Soroka, control and measurement procedures, and ongoing feedback to all staff members, including computer and logistics personnel.

Dr. Ehud Davidson, Director of Soroka Medical Center: “This is a very significant achievement for the hospital. The quality of medical care rendered is the core of our daily work and compliance with these medical indexes reflects the cooperative efforts of all our staff who give top priority to the good of the patients and the safety of their treatment, both inside and beyond the wards.

We continue to advance across-the-board organizational procedures to promote quality medicine and maintain daily feedback to the individual patient, employing informative reports and online controls based on the hospital’s database”.

The NICU at Soroka was the first inpatient department and NICU in Israel to be awarded the prestigious ISO 9000 quality management certification in 2008.

This standard was conferred upon the unit after it passed the rigorous audits of the Israel Standards Institution, which is the Israeli representative of the International Standards Organization (ISO). Soroka’s NICU is committed to ongoing improvements in quality and excellence in service.

The Standards Institution of Israel recently conducted yet another audit: the NICU met all of the requirements and its certification was renewed. Rivka Tepper, a NICU nurse with a Master of Health Administration, was responsible for successfully managing this process. The international standard grants the unit and the hospital a great deal of prestige both locally and internationally.

Compliance with ISO quality management standards requires strict compliance with rigid procedures regarding service, proper and controlled function of the large amount of sophisticated equipment, medication preparation and administration, infection control and proper management guidelines. Compliance with the terms of certification requires constant improvement in quality and evidence of improvement through quality measures.

Dr. Agi Golan, Director of the Department of Neonatology at Soroka, and medical student Yotam Weiss

Close to 16,000 babies are born at Soroka Medical Center each year. 1.1% of these babies are preterm, with birth weights below 1.5kg. 15% of the babies have medical problems that require intensive care or special treatment.

The Neonatology Department at Soroka is the largest of its kind in Israel and is a global leader. The department cares for over 2,300 hospitalized infants each year, more than 200 of whom are born with very low birth weights and treated in the NICU. Its staff offers a unique treatment model for the babies and their families.

According to Dr. Agi Golan, Director of the Department of Neonatology at Soroka, “Intensive care of a newborn, and especially a preterm infant, is exceptionally complex and requires highly skilled personnel and the most advanced technology. Ensuring quality of care and error prevention means that the attending staff must comply with strict procedures and constantly examine of quality of care, quality of equipment and medication preparation. Maintaining a high level in these areas is only possible if the staff complies with standardized work procedures.”

Jerusalem Post Editor in Chief Steve Linde, Dr. Moti Klein, Paratrooper Lt. Colonel Meir Almcam with head of IDF Widows & Orphans

Soroka was privileged to be a part of the Jerusalem Post Conference, held June 7 in NYC. Soroka was invited to share with the audience our unique experiences delivering medicine under fire during Operation Protective Edge last summer. Dr. Moti Klein, the Chief of Intensive Care, addressed the crowd of 1,500 at this annual event, receiving a standing ovation for his heroic role in caring for so many of Israel’s most seriously wounded IDF soldiers.

Soroka’s Young Professional chapter launched in May, at Pomegranate Gallery in Soho. Many thanks to Oded Halahmy for hosting our magnificent Summer Launch Party!!! Nearly 100 young professionals gathered to sip pomegranate cocktails and learn about ways to get involved. The Oded Halahmy Foundation for the Arts is a non-profit cultural organization created to fund original artistic expressions of peace and hope in the Middle East, the United States and around the world. Oded’s vision is: “May there be peace in Iraq, the Middle East, and around the world”. How fitting for Soroka’s emerging young leaders to gather in this special space, to advance of mission of healing and coexistence.

Seth kagan, Orly halpern, Ben Kagan	Jon Harari, Leona Krasner, Sivan Hadari and Ariel Shtauber	Rachel Heisler, Josh Tenenbaum

From the time the sirens sounded in 2007 with Operation Cast Lead, and again in 2012 with Operation Pillar of Defense, and last summer with Protective Edge, the Soroka Medical Center had to shutter 8 of its operating rooms; they were unfortified and vulnerable to rocket attacks. Since then the Medical Center’s urgent need for fortified operating rooms that would meet the IDF’s Home Front Command guidelines and allow for surgeries during combat became increasingly apparent.

Today, 2 fortified operating rooms, built with the support of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), the Moskowitz Foundation, Levin Foundation, the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galil, and Clalit Health Services, and at a total cost of $7 million USD, were dedicated at Soroka.

The ceremony was attended by: Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, President of the IFCJ; Gadi Yarkoni, Head of the Eshkol Regional Council (Yarkoni hmself underwent surgery at in Soroka after being injured in a mortar bomb attack during Operation Protective Edge), senior Soroka staff and medical professionals, among other invited guests.

The new operating rooms adhere to the highest standards of security and technology and will allow Soroka to intake more surgical patients and wounded during Israel’s times of combat and peace. Each year, more than 33,000 surgeries take place at Soroka, the highest among Israel’s public hospitals.

Dr. Ehud Davidson, Director of Soroka Hospital: “Just like in every round of fighting in the South, in Operation Protective Edge the Soroka Medical Center stood at the forefront in the treatment of the wounded. One hundred and forty operations of wounded soldiers, performed by surgeons in different fields, took place in Soroka’s operating rooms. A large number of these operations were extremely complex and the staff worked with absolute devotion, all this while also providing care to residents of the South who needed operations during the days of the battles.”

Dr. Davidson added “I want to thank the valued donors for their generous contributions which made it possible for us to build two new operating rooms. We intend to establish 4 additional fortified operating rooms in a designated site, and with this we will complete our network of 14 fortified operating rooms, so that we will not need to close operating rooms that are not fortified.”

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, President of the IFCJ remarked: “The IFCJ is proud to be a key partner in improving the health services available for Israel’s Southern residents. One year ago today, during Operation Protective Edge, I was in the Negev and saw firsthand how every shekel that we donated to the hospital translated into lives saved—both among Israel’s military and civilian populations. Our donation is made possible thanks to the generous hearts of more than a million and a half donors throughout the world who seek to strengthen the State of Israel and its people.”

In June, Soroka launched a Canadian Friends organization, with its debut event held at the Toronto home of Toby & Saul Feldberg. Dr. Amit Frenkel, who completed a Fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital, and is now a senior physician in Soroka’s ICU, remarked: The Jewish people scattered all over the world feel a sentimental need to help Israel. We need to direct them to areas that help the survivorship of Israel, like emergency wards – where lives are saved.”

The group is led by Francesca David: please contact her for information on upcoming events in Canada: I_David@sympatico.ca (905)770-4720