The Israel Healthcare Highlights Podcast

In this inspiring episode, Bruce Rosen from Hebrew University sits down with Dr. Maurit Beeri, Director General of ALYN Hospital—Israel’s premier pediatric rehabilitation center. Discover Dr. Beeri’s heartfelt journey from pediatrician to hospital CEO, sparked by a powerful moment that changed her career path forever. Nearly a century after its founding, ALYN Hospital continues to lead groundbreaking approaches in rehabilitative care for children with complex medical conditions, from neurological injuries to trauma recovery.

Dr. Beeri shares how ALYN combines cutting-edge technology with compassionate, holistic care—helping young patients reintegrate into society, schools, and everyday life. Learn how their commitment to “participation” over mere physical milestones has transformed Israel’s educational and medical landscapes. Whether it’s integrating children on ventilators into mainstream classrooms or empowering them with the tools to communicate and thrive, this conversation is full of insight, hope, and innovation.

Tune in to explore the powerful connection between healthcare, education, and community—and how institutions like ALYN Hospital are helping children not just survive, but truly belong. ALYN Hospital has also become a haven of inclusivity and mutual respect in a deeply diverse and often divided society. As Dr. Beeri explains, ALYN serves children from every segment of Israeli society—secular and ultra-Orthodox Jews, Israeli Arabs. Especially during times of national stress and conflict, ALYN remains a space where families and staff are united by the shared mission of rehabilitation. Whether it's curating peaceful environments free from political tension, offering multilingual communication, or providing inclusive spaces for prayer and reflection, the hospital fosters understanding and trust across communities.

In a society struggling with polarization, ALYN stands out not only as a center of medical excellence but as a model for coexistence—reminding us that empathy and collaboration are as vital to healing as any clinical treatment. 

In this episode of Israel Healthcare Highlights, host Bruce Rosen speaks with Professor Bruria Adini, head of the Emergency and Disaster Management Department at Tel Aviv University, about the evolving concept of resilience in Israeli society.

Prof. Adini discusses her team’s groundbreaking research that tracks resilience across multiple crises—from COVID-19 and political unrest to the ongoing war post-October 7. With seven resilience assessments conducted during wartime alone, her findings challenge common assumptions. Notably, distress and resilience are not mutually exclusive—both can coexist. The key driver? Hope. Those who maintain a hopeful outlook tend to demonstrate greater personal and societal resilience.

The study also revealed wide gaps in attitudes based on the level of support of the government. For example, those that support the government feel to a very high extent that the government is making all efforts to release the hostages, while those who oppose the government feel that this is not done.

The conversation touches on global comparisons—including Ukraine—and reveals that communities under existential threat often display the highest resilience. Prof. Adini also emphasizes the dynamic nature of resilience and the vital role government and civil society must play in nurturing it through transparency, inclusive communication, and trust-building.

A powerful and timely exploration of how a nation’s resilience can be understood, cultivated, and sustained—even in the face of profound adversity. 

Join Bruce Rosen as he sits down with Professor Shlomo Vinker, a leading expert in family medicine, for an engaging discussion on primary care in Israel.

As a board-certified family physician, the chief medical officer at Leumit Health Services, and chair of the European Association of Family Doctors (WONCA), Professor Vinker shares his unique insights on the structure of primary care, the rise of family medicine, and the challenges faced by practitioners today.

In this conversation, Bruce and Shlomo explore:

• The role of family doctors in Israel’s healthcare system

• Why family medicine is growing in popularity among medical residents

• How the national health law ensures universal coverage

• The impact of competition between healthcare organizations

• Changes in medical training and work-life balance for new doctors

• How the war has affected primary care services, including:

   o Providing medical care for displaced communities in temporary shelters

   o Addressing increased psychological and psychiatric stress among patients

   o Expanding telemedicine and remote consultations due to evolving needs

Looking ahead, Professor Vinker discusses key challenges in family medicine, including:

• Managing high workload and growing patient needs • Balancing face-to-face and remote care

• Addressing geographic disparities in physician distribution

Learn how Israeli primary care stands out from other countries and how family doctors are adapting to modern healthcare demands. 

In this episode, Bruce Rosen is joined by Professor Clarfield,  of Ben- Gurion University of the Negev and McGill University, for a compelling conversation about global aging and Israel’s unique role in improving geriatric care in low-income countries.

With decades of experience in the care of older persons and global health education, Prof. Clarfield shares his firsthand observations from Ethiopia, where he has collaborated with local universities to train medical staff and implement low-cost, high-impact interventions.

Drawing from moving personal stories—including a preventable stroke case in an older woman in a northern Ethiopia and a vibrant 85-year-old woman defying stereotypes—Clarfield illustrates both the challenges and resilience of older adults in sub-Saharan Africa. He explains how Israeli-led initiatives cooperating with McGill University and funded by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, in partnership with Ethiopian institutions, are empowering healthcare professionals with practical tools, such as portable ultrasound devices, to improve medical care.

The conversation also explores how Israel’s own journey from a developing country not that many decades ago to a leader in medical innovation positions it as a valued and trusted partner in Africa. Through humility, cross-border cooperation, and a deep respect for local needs, Clarfield offers a blueprint for meaningful global health engagement.

Tune in for a heartening and thoughtful exploration of aging, equity, and international solidarity in healthcare. 

In this important episode, Bruce Rosen interviews Adv. Malke Borow, the Director of the Division of Law and Policy at the Israel Medical Association.

In an era of growing antisemitism abroad and an impending physician shortage in Israel, more and more physicians are making aliya (i.e. immigrating to Israel). 

Find out how the Israeli Medical Association works before, during and after this process to ease the transition, minimize bureaucracy and maximize the physician's success in his or her new surroundings.

Do Consumers Really Understand Health Information?

Join Bruce Rosen in a thought-provoking conversation with Professor Diane Levin-Zamir, one of Israel’s and the world’s leading voices in health promotion and literacy. In this episode, Professor Levin-Zamir shares insights from her decades of experience — from directing health promotion for Clalit Health Services to shaping national, international and global health literacy policy, practice and research. Discover the multifaceted concept of health literacy — from functional, interactive, and critical skills, to emerging dimensions like digital, and organizational health literacy.

Learn how health literacy impacts equity, decision-making, and trust in information — especially post-COVID and the importance of health literacy as a social determinant of health. Whether you're a healthcare professional, policymaker, researcher or curious viewer, this discussion offers real-world solutions and inspiration to empower individuals and communities.

Join Bruce Rosen in this compelling interview with Professor Karl Skorecki, a distinguished leader in Israeli medical research and a pioneer in nephrology, genetics, and health equity. Professor Skorecki is a professor emeritus at both the Technion and Bar Ilan University.

Genetic epidemiology studies indicate the up to 100 million individuals worldwide may be at genetic risk attributable to the risk variants that Karl's team and in parallel a team at Harvard in Boston identified. This discovery identified a previously unappreciated category of kidney disease, and is already leading to the emergence and testing of new diagnostic and patient management approaches to alleviate chronic kidney disease and to optimize kidney transplantation outcomes

This conversation highlights the power of global research collaboration and the unique role Israeli science plays on the world stage. Professor Skorecki reflects on how local observations—like the health patterns of Ethiopian Israelis—sparked global insights and contributed to developing treatments now in clinical trials.

Whether you’re passionate about precision medicine, fascinated by genetic research, or interested in tackling health disparities, this episode offers fresh perspectives and real hope.

Don’t miss this story of teamwork, mentorship, and discovery—where learning from differences leads to healing lives.

In this inspiring episode, Bruce Rosen sits down with Efrat Stern, the director of JDC-Israel Unlimited and of JDC-Israel's mental health initiative, to explore groundbreaking efforts to address Israel’s growing mental health crisis in the wake of October 7th.

With over a decade of experience supporting people with disabilities, Stern now leads the organization’s national Mental Health Initiative—aimed at expanding access and creating scalable, high-quality solutions for all Israelis. She shares how JDC is using tech innovation and community-driven approaches to meet soaring demand: from an anonymous peer-support app for reservists’ spouses, to a curated platform offering 800+ vetted mental health resources tailored to individual needs.

Stern also unveils a massive nationwide initiative—led with multiple government ministries—to embed health coordinators in many Israeli municipalities. These local leaders are developing custom mental health strategies and selecting from a digital library of approved interventions.

A major focus is JDC’s work in the digital sphere, where scalable solutions are urgently needed. Stern highlights the development of advanced platforms that integrate AI and personalized algorithms to connect users with appropriate care—whether that’s guidance for parenting through wartime stress or access to virtual support groups. These tools are removing barriers and reshaping how people seek mental health help in a time of national trauma. 

In this episode, Bruce Rosen hosts Dr. Sefi Mendlevic, Associate Director-General of Israel's Ministry of Health, for a timely conversation on the physician shortage crisis in Israel.

Dr. Mendlovic—an emergency pediatrician and former chief medical officer at Shaare Zedek Medical Center—shares his personal journey, and then dives into the deep-rooted causes behind Israel’s growing need for physicians.

He explains how the retirement of doctors from the mass immigration of the 1990s from the former Soviet Union, the heavy reliance on foreign-trained physicians, and the rapid growth of Israel’s aging population have converged to create a looming healthcare workforce gap. The discussion highlights recent reforms led by the Ministry, including expanding Israeli medical school admissions, introducing planning committees to forecast future physician needs, and investing in programs that strengthen manpower development in underserved regions like the Galilee and Negev.

If you’re interested in global health policy, medical education, or the intersection of demographics and healthcare planning, this thoughtful and information-filled interview provides rare insight into how a national health system grapples with workforce sustainability—especially during times of conflict. 

In this episode Bruce Rosen interviews Professor Rivka Carmi, past-president of Ben-Gurion University, about the importance of physician-scientists and the initiatives to support them in Israel. Carmi discusses her work founding the Israel National Academy for Science and Medicine, the need for dedicated research time and infrastructure for clinicians, and recent programs like Mavri that fund physician-led translational research.

She explains why clinician-led research drives key medical advances, how universities and hospitals are adapting, and the goal of establishing a sustainable, government-backed career track for physician researchers.