This article was written in cooperation with Tzafon Medical Center.
“We are much more than a hospital,” says Dr. Noam Yehudai, director of Tzafon Medical Center, located near Tiberias, formerly known as the Poriya Medical Center. “We are here as an anchor for healthcare.”
For much of the past two years, Israel’s northern frontier has been a war zone. Though the US-brokered ceasefire agreement that was reached in late November has significantly quieted the region, Yehudai is looking beyond the immediate issue of the security situation in the North and is seeking to effect permanent change regarding the overall characteristics of the level of healthcare provided in the region.
“This isn’t a short-term issue caused by war,” explains Yehudai. “It’s a long-standing structural problem. The people who need care the most – those with fewer resources – are the ones being left behind.”
The residents of northern Israel, many of whom come from a low socioeconomic background, represent a multicultural population that faces high rates of chronic illness. As a vulnerable community, says Yehudai, “they rely heavily on public healthcare services. This reality underscores the vital importance of a government-funded hospital capable of providing comprehensive medical care. Such an institution must address the diverse needs of the population while ensuring accessibility, continuity, and quality of treatment for all residents.” These factors collectively result in a life expectancy that is three to four years shorter than the national average.
Moreover, access to medical services in northern Israel is much more limited than in the center of the country. “In the center of Israel,” notes Yehudai, “there are alternatives. If someone received an appointment for an MRI in six months, he could try to find one sooner in private hospitals or via private insurance. These options do not exist in the North; the population here relies solely on public medical services. That is why our mission as a public general hospital is to provide the entire spectrum of services. Otherwise, the residents will give up. They will not go, and they will not spend any money they don’t have on private healthcare services.”
Over the years, Yehudai adds, not enough additional resources were allocated to alleviate the healthcare disparities in the North. Much of the public funding has been directed toward hospitals in the center of the country. The lack of public funding has also influenced the amount of private philanthropy that reaches the North. “Driven by a commitment to social justice, we are advancing healthcare services for residents of the North and strive to reduce health disparities,” he says.
In regard to recent events, Yehudai points out that the war further exacerbated the shortage of medical services due to the many thousands of evacuees who ended up in the hotels near the Sea of Galilee. “Thousands of them arrived in our region. Suddenly, we had to take care of another population who were in a very stressful time in their lives, with no spare attention to look after their health. We were here to make sure that we gave them everything they required. I need to provide these services not only for the evacuees but also for the permanent residents of northern Israel – because if they don’t get it here, many of them will not drive three hours to Tel Aviv or Haifa.”
It is with both a deep sense of responsibility and genuine pride that Yehudai speaks about the advanced services offered by Tzafon Medical Center.
“We have established specialized units that have evolved into centers of medical excellence,” he explains. “Many people are not aware that such advanced capabilities exist within a medium-sized hospital in northern Israel. Our services include brain catheterization, cardiac surgery, vascular and thoracic surgeries, as well as head and neck procedures. We utilize cutting-edge technologies, such robotic-assisted surgeries, to deliver the highest standard of care. Because, ultimately, if we don’t provide top-tier quality, patients would have to seek treatment elsewhere.”
In addition to its traditional role in treating the residents of the area, Tzafon Medical Center plays an important economic role as the largest employer in the region. It has over 1,800 employees, which will increase to 2,200 when the hospital’s rehabilitation center opens fully. “The hospital is a growth engine for the region, and it’s a very valuable place to work,” the director says.
Emphasis on rehabilitation and mental health
What makes Tzafon Medical Center even more valuable in the eyes of the public today is its emphasis on rehabilitation and mental health, two areas that have become vitally important in light of the difficult war that Israel has been experiencing. Yehudai notes that the hospital had been planning the construction of a rehab center and mental health facility long before the events of October 7 in order to narrow the healthcare gap. “The gaps [between the level of rehabilitation and mental health care with the rest of the country] were unbelievable even prior to the war. We knew that we would have to develop these two fields.”
The hospital’s soon-to-be-completed Helmsley Rehabilitation Center will include 162 beds in five departments: neurological, orthopedic, geriatric, pediatric, and outpatient daycare, in addition to pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation. Two months ago, Tzafon Medical Center opened the first pediatric rehabilitation department in the North at the Rehabilitation Center, which is working at full capacity.
The Helmsley Center is adding a hope and resilience hub for mental and holistic rehabilitation. The hospital is also building a separate mental health center on its campus, which will enable it to serve the public as a comprehensive medical center, housing a general hospital, and rehabilitation and mental health services.
“When the mental health center is complete,” says Yehudai, “we will actually accomplish what I call ‘a 360’– a general hospital with top-end services, top technology, a rehabilitation center, and a mental health facility.” He adds that the only other hospital in Israel that offers a full complement of services on one campus is Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv. “The residents of the North deserve access to a comprehensive healthcare center close to home – one that allows families to be present and involved. There should be no need for patients to travel halfway across the country to receive the care they need,” he asserts.
Yehudai recognizes that by offering more services, he must bring additional medical personnel to Israel’s North. It is for that reason that Tzafon Medical Center embarked on a joint venture with the Ministry of Health and philanthropy to recruit 500 qualified medical professionals – which includes physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists – to move north. The initiative, called TalenTech, is focused on providing holistic relocation support for housing, education, and appropriate employment for the spouses of medical professionals and their families who chose to live and work in the North, as well as unique professional development programs. “We are in close partnership with regional stakeholders from the municipalities, government ministries, and local third sector organizations, working to find the best solutions for excellent healthcare personnel to come here and deliver care for the citizens of the North and to become part of this beautiful region,” he elaborates.
Tzafon Medical Center was first established as a small community hospital in the mid-1950s before beginning its major expansion a decade ago. Yehudai explains that changing the name was not a matter of publicity or rebranding. Rather, he suggests, it is an evolution from a small-sized hospital to a significant medical center in Israel’s North.
Concluding our interview, Yehudai reflects on a phrase often used in the context of Israel’s northern region: “People speak of the need to ‘rehabilitate’ the North,” he says. “But I reject that term. The North does not need ‘rehabilitation’ – it needs rebuilding. It needs reimagining. ‘Rehabilitation’ implies restoring what once was; but what we need now is something new. Moreover, achieving that depends on four essential pillars: safety, access to high-quality healthcare, strong educational infrastructure, and meaningful employment opportunities. These are the foundations for encouraging both the return of former residents and the arrival of new ones. As a medical center, we are actively engaged in all four. The past year and a half has shown us that a hospital in the North is not only a place of healing – it is a pillar of resilience. It is a beacon of hope.”■
This article was written in cooperation with Tzafon Medical Center.