Unstoppable: Hadassah Hospitals
Despite facing unprecedented and immediate challenges to rehabilitate wounded soldiers and increase mental health support, the Hadassah Medical Organization remained unwavering in its commitment to forging the path into the future. Through cutting-edge research, implementation of the latest technologies, global cooperation, and a diverse staff offering top-quality patient care and building bridges to peace through medicine, the Hadassah Medical Organization remained at the forefront in 2024.
Dear Hadassah Family,
At Hadassah, unwavering commitment defines who we are. In a year of extraordinary challenges, we have remained steadfast in our mission: delivering world-class care, advancing groundbreaking research, driving medical innovation and training the next generation of physicians.
In the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attacks, we acted swiftly, preparing our underground facilities at both Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem and Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus to ensure that medicine never stops, even in the most difficult times. Our dedication to excellence was reaffirmed when the Joint Commission International awarded Hadassah hospitals international accreditation — a testament to our relentless pursuit of the highest global standards.
We are expanding, both in infrastructure and medical services. The Round Building renovation is well underway, with two departments fully operational and a third nearing completion. The first three floors of the Gandel Rehabilitation Center opened months ahead of schedule. Hadassah Beit Shemesh has been serving patients for two years, and soon, we will inaugurate the Hadassah-Helmsley Medical Center, Netivot, bringing advanced care to the residents of southern Israel. Just as crucially, we are expanding our mental health services to help the nation cope with the trauma of war.
Even in times of conflict, Hadassah remains a symbol of hope and unity. Within Hadassah hospitals, professionals from all backgrounds stand side by side, healing patients of every faith and nationality. This spirit of cooperation and compassion is more vital than ever.
Thank you for enabling us to carry through our joint mission and for sharing our unwavering hope for a better future.
With gratitude,
Prof. Yoram Weiss
Director General, Hadassah Medical Organization
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Hadassah Hospitals at the Forefront
A Trailblazer in Healthcare
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By holding itself to the highest standards, HMO continues to ensure that it remains a leader in innovation, patient care and global health.”
—Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz on the Hadassah Medical Organization’s “Gold Seal of Approval” from the Joint Commission International, an independent nonprofit that identifies, measures and shares best practices in quality and patient safety around the world
Read more in the full report
Full-Body 3D Scanner Added to Cancer Detection Arsenal
Thanks to a generous contribution from the Weiss Family Foundation, the Hadassah Medical Organization became the first medical center in Israel to acquire a new imaging system — the VECTRA WB360 — that captures the entire skin surface of a patient’s body to generate a single, three-dimensional image, which helps dermatologists map and monitor pigmented lesions and skin diseases of their patients.
Read more in the full report
In Focus: Access to Breast Cancer Care
Dr. Shani Paluch-Shimon, head of the Breast Cancer Unit at the Hadassah Medical Organization, was awarded a grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to study healthcare disparities in culturally diverse, special needs and disadvantaged populations in Israel.
Read more in the full report
Hope Is Here: Promising Research
Researchers from the Hadassah Medical Organization forged ahead in 2024, making significant advancements in lifechanging treatment and care.
Future Forward: Leading the Way in Cancer Care
The Hadassah Medical Organization’s huge strides forward in medical innovation included major breakthroughs in cancer research, from personalized cancer care using artificial intelligence to a new blood test for early detection of treatment-induced lung damage and a new alpha-radiation cancer therapy.
Stem Cells and Multiple Sclerosis
In March, at the 2024 Forum of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, Dr. Petrou Panayiota, a neurologist working with MS Center Director Prof. Dimitrios Karussis, presented the latest evidence of significant beneficial effects of repeated stem cell injections in patients with progressive MS.
Pooled Saliva and cCMV
A study conducted by Prof. Dana Wolf, Clinical Virology Unit director, along with Prof. Moran Yassour and the neonatology team, showed that newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) — a leading cause of childhood neurologic deficits with lifelong implications — can be carried out reliably with pooled saliva tests for universal screening, highlighting the potential to revolutionize cCMV screening worldwide.
Preventing Alzheimer’s
A Hadassah Medical Organization clinical trial began testing whether the BCG vaccine, developed a century ago to treat tuberculosis, should be widely administered in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Pictured: Barbara Sofer of the Hadassah Offices in Israel, participating in the trial, through which she found out she does not have the markers for Alzheimer’s.
Surgeons Use Advanced 3D Technology to Rebuild Soldier’s Knee
Orthopedic surgeons at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem successfully rebuilt the shattered knee of a 21-year-old soldier shot by Hamas terrorists in a gunfight in Gaza.
Evacuated from the battlefield, Shilo Segev underwent major reconstructive surgery, with doctors using a 3D printer to build an accurate model to successfully reconstruct his knee.
Segev told The Jerusalem Post that he felt lucky to be in the hands of a professional medical team skilled in bone restoration.
Planned Gift Brightens Kids’ Hospital Experiences
With stress levels high since October 7, 2023, Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem Head of Pediatrics Prof. Ariel Tenenbaum and department administrator Poriya Amster helped create a more cheerful atmosphere — through art — to benefit their young patients and their families.
Students in Jerusalem created paintings depicting the Gaza border communities as they appeared prior to the Hamas invasion for display on the third floor of the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Mother and Child Center. The exhibition of the paintings was made possible through the generosity of the Dr. Nina Litton Endowment for Pediatrics, established in 1984 through the bequest of Dr. Litton, a pediatrician at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.
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