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• The Hadassah Medical Organization announces "Hadassah-Helmsley Netivot," a new, innovative medical center designed to provide residents of Netivot and surrounding communities with advanced diagnostic, treatment and ongoing medical care close to home.
According to the framework agreement, which was signed prior to the outbreak of the "Swords of Iron" war, Hadassah’s expert medical teams will travel south to the new center, making the world-class knowledge, expertise and tools of an internationally renowned university hospital accessible to residents of the region.
• Hadassah Medical Organization Director General Yoram Weiss, MD: "The establishment of a medical center in the city of Netivot is a defining national milestone and a recognition of the full right of southern residents to receive advanced, high-quality medical services."
• Mayor of Netivot Yehiel Zohar: “The establishment of ‘Hadassah-Helmsley Netivot’ is truly a transformative milestone for the city and for the entire Western Negev. For years, we spoke about the need for real change for the residents of the south and today we are bringing it to life.
The residents of Netivot and the surrounding area deserve advanced medical care, leading specialists and innovative technologies exactly like those available in the center of the country.
The new medical center brings a message of equality, quality of life and medical security for our families. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Hadassah Medical Organization’s leadership; to Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America; and to the Helmsley Charitable Trust for their confidence in the city of Netivot and for the strong partnership that has turned vision into reality.
This is another significant step in making Netivot, a leading metropolitan center in the south, a city that continues to grow, develop and provide its residents with the very best."
A HISTORIC CORRECTION FOR SOUTHERN ISRAEL
The Hadassah Medical Organization – one of Israel’s leading university medical centers –together with its parent, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, and in partnership with The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, has established Hadassah-Helmsley Netivot.
The center will serve more than 150,000 residents of Netivot, the western Negev and the Gaza envelope communities, providing high-quality medicine delivered by Hadassah’s expert physicians and supported by advanced and innovative technologies.
At Hadassah, this is viewed as a dramatic step with broad national significance, bringing essential medical services closer to residents’ homes and eliminating the need for long, exhausting travel to distant medical centers, a reality that has persisted for decades.
The idea to establish a southern medical center was born several years ago, well before the outbreak of the “Swords of Iron” war and stemmed from a recognition of the region’s needs and the longstanding shortage of skilled and experienced medical personnel which Israel’s healthcare system has struggled to address.
The project is a joint initiative of the Netivot Municipality and Mayor Yehiel Zohar; the Hadassah Medical Organization; its owners, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America; the Helmsley Charitable Trust; and all the Israeli health funds (HMOs).
COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL SERVICES CLOSE TO HOME
The center will provide residents with access to top-tier specialists and advanced medical equipment, enabling care across a wide range of specialties, including ophthalmology, orthopedics, neurology, gastroenterology, women’s health, oral and maxillofacial surgery and medical imaging.
The new medical center offers diagnostic, treatment and ongoing care services at the highest professional level. It includes specialist outpatient clinics with exceptionally high professional and service standards and an advanced imaging center that will give residents of the south access to MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray and fluoroscopy services as well as to Hadassah’s medical specialists.
THE HELMSLEY PARTNERSHIP
The name Hadassah-Helmsley Netivot highlights the contribution of the Helmsley Charitable Trust to the establishment of the medical center, including grants of more than $5.2 million for medical equipment and more than $950,000 to assist with recruitment of top medical talent.
Helmsley aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the US and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives.
Since 2010, Helmsley has committed more than $700 million in grants for Israel to expand the nation’s world-class healthcare services; strengthen contributions to scientific, technological and medical research; and promote a global understanding of Israel and its people. Helmsley previously supported several other transformative healthcare projects at Hadassah.
Said Sandor Frankel, Trustee, Helmsley Charitable Trust, "Whether you live in the north or south of Israel should not limit your ability to access the same quality of healthcare as in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Helmsley is committed to improving healthcare for everyone in Israel, and we are pleased to play a role in supporting Hadassah-Helmsley Netivot, this vital extension of one of Israel’s premier hospitals, so that the people of Netivot and the surrounding areas will now have access to the medical innovation and care that they deserve."
LEADERSHIP VOICES
National President of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Carol Ann Schwartz:
The medical center launched in Netivot represents a moment of renewal and hope, and a clear expression of the vision that has guided Hadassah – to develop and make accessible high-quality, advanced and equitable healthcare for every citizen everywhere in Israel. Since Hadassah’s founding more than 110 years ago, we have taken on the national responsibility for building a healthcare infrastructure and laying the foundation for Israel’s healthcare system. Expanding healthcare services to the periphery is not a one-time initiative but part of a deep commitment to Israeli society as a whole to strengthen the south and reduce disparities. This initiative reflects Hadassah’s belief that health, resilience and a better future begin with a strong, high-quality medical presence in the community.”
Chair of the Hadassah Medical Organization Board of Directors Dalia Itzik:
After years of dedicated effort, an advanced medical center has been established in southern Israel – one that enhances and elevates Israel’s healthcare system. This is a long-overdue historic correction. What is right and essential for residents of Jerusalem and central Israel must also exist for residents of the south, who have faced years of hardship and inequality, including in healthcare. Hadassah’s outstanding teams will travel south to deliver hospital-level care within the community. Our presence in the south, together with the creation of many new jobs, is, in my view, a true mission."
Hadassah Medical Organization Director General Yoram Weiss, MD:
Hadassah is leading a historic and foundational national project – one whose importance goes far beyond making excellent medical care accessible to residents of the region.
The establishment of a medical center in the city of Netivot is a recognition of the full right of southern residents to receive advanced, high-quality medical services without long journeys to distant cities or prolonged waiting times for appointments and specialists.
I thank our partners on this journey who, together with us, turned a Zionist vision into a reality: first and foremost the Helmsley Charitable Trust; the Netivot Municipality and its leadership, headed by Mayor Yehiel Zohar; the Israeli health funds that joined this mission on behalf of their members; and of course, Hadassah’s dedicated teams, who worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life."
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About the Hadassah Medical Organization:
For more than a century, the Hadassah Medical Organization, the Jerusalem-based hospital system of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, has set the standard for excellence in medical treatment and research in Israel. The experience and ingenuity of Hadassah’s doctors and scientists have led to new tools and treatments in all areas of medicine, including therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices. Visit hadassah.org/how-we-help/our-hospitals.