Straight from Gidon Melmed, executive director of the Hadassah Offices in Israel, comes a year-end update on the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO).
Melmed first reflects on HMO’s initial response to the October 7, 2023, massacre, which included establishing an underground emergency hospital and accelerating the opening of the Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital.
Now, two years later, he says, “There’s a very significant kind of fragility to the ceasefire at the moment, but for so many, the journey of recovery and healing has only really just begun.”
Melmed speaks about overcoming the challenge of losing a significant number of Hadassah medical staff to reserve duty while continuing day-to-day operations, likening the situation to Henrietta Szold rising to the challenge and filling a need. It is the “spirit of Hadassah,” he says.
Hadassah hospitals now serve 1.2 million patients annually, a significant increase over last year, according to Melmed. Surgery, research, and innovation are all ongoing.
In terms of innovation and research, Melmed discusses work in breast cancer and in neurology and dementia, as well as the use of organoids, surgical robots, and augmented reality, which Melmed says Hadassah hospitals are seeing the first implementation of. “It’s an amazing tool that is very exciting because it means we’re conducting a greater degree of certain accuracy in our surgery and operations.”
“Hadassah On Call: New Frontiers in Medicine” is a production of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Hadassah enhances the health of people around the world through medical education, care, and research innovations at the Hadassah Medical Organization. For more information on the latest advances in medicine, please visit hadassah.org.

In this episode of Hadassah On Call: New Frontiers in Medicine, host Maayan Hoffman is joined by Dr. Ariel Tenenbaum, head of the pediatric department and director of the Down syndrome clinic at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem.
Dr. Tenenbaum is one of Israel's leading experts in pediatric disabilities, with a particular focus on autism and Down syndrome. He explains what autism is, how it's diagnosed and what the term "on the spectrum" means from a clinical perspective. With clarity and compassion, he walks us through the early signs parents should look out for — and why early detection is so critical.
"Autism is not one condition," Dr. Tenenbaum explains. "It's a spectrum, and every child presents differently. That's why personalized care and early intervention are so important."
Dr. Tenenbaum also explores the cutting-edge tools making a difference in diagnosis and treatment, including the growing role of artificial intelligence in identifying developmental delays earlier than ever before. He discusses why early intervention leads to better outcomes and how parents can navigate the overwhelming journey from diagnosis to support.
Dr. Tenenbaum also shares how war and trauma impact children with developmental disabilities — and how Hadassah is adapting to meet their unique needs during these challenging times.
Whether you're a parent or educator or want to understand more about autism and the broader field of intellectual and developmental disabilities, this is a must-listen conversation.
Hadassah On Call: New Frontiers in Medicine is a production of Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America. Hadassah enhances the health of people around the world through medical education, care and research innovations at the Hadassah Medical Organization. For more information on the latest advances in medicine, please head over to hadassah.org.
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The show is hosted by Maayan Hoffman and produced by the team at the Hadassah offices in New York and Israel.

This episode of Hadassah On Call deals with the most common malignant tumor in men. Dr. Ofer Gofrit, chair of the Urology Department at the Hadassah Medical Organization, tells us everything we need to know about prostate cancer, from prevalence to risk factors to treatment options. 

Surprisingly, treatment is not always necessary. He stresses, though, that early screening is. “Prostate cancer is a slow-growing tumor. There is time to diagnose it early.”Screening at 45 years of age is key, especially when genetics are at play — a grandfather or father having the disease is a great risk factor. If prostate cancer is diagnosed, surveillance is then the next step. According to Dr. Gofrit, active surveillance is very common practice today and may be the solution for overtreatment that was so common in the past.
To help prevent even getting to that point, it’s important to make good lifestyle choices. “Whatever is good for the heart is also good for the prostate,” says Dr. Gofrit. A balanced diet, regular aerobic exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can help postpone or prevent the disease. It’s proven that overweight men have a higher risk of prostate cancer.

Dr. Gofrit also discusses the pros and cons of PSA testing and the use of more predictive blood tests and imaging to improve the accuracy of diagnosis. 
When treatment is needed, options include surgery, radiation and hormonal therapy.
What Else You’ll Hear

• The impact of treatment on a man’s daily life and sex life

• Signs of recurrence following treatment

• Link between bladder cancer and the BCG vaccine and Alzheimer’s disease

If you enjoyed this episode, don't miss out on future episodes! Be sure to subscribe to Hadassah On Call on your favorite podcast platform, leave us a 5-star review to help other fans find the show, and connect with us to learn more about our host and upcoming guests at hadassah.org/hadassahoncall. 

"Hadassah On Call: New Frontiers in Medicine" is a production of Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America. Hadassah enhances the health of people around the world through medical education, care and research innovations at the Hadassah Medical Organization. For more information on the latest advances in medicine, please head over to hadassah.org.