 | | |
|
| Message from Marlene Post, President |
| |
| |
Dear Colleagues,
|
|
|
Last month I traveled to Israel with the National Board of Hadassah America to visit the newest additions to the Hadassah Medical Center. At the Mount Scopus Hospital, our delegation visited the new and expanded Neonatal Department, where the tiniest babies are nurtured in beautiful surroundings, some for many months before they are healthy enough to go home to their families. In the Rehabilitation Department, we witnessed the physical therapists in the new therapeutic pool along with the patients, helping them to regain muscle strength. Another patient was being exercised on the Lokomat, the miraculous machine that enables paralyzed patients to experience the sensation of walking.
At our hospital at Ein Kerem, we were led through the almost-completed floors that have just been added to the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Mother and Child Center. Dr. Esti Galili and some of the members of her staff shared their pride at the new facilities that will enable them to treat more patients than they could in the cramped quarters on Mount Scopus. Dr. Michael Weintraub, head of Pediatric Oncology, will soon be moving his unit onto one of the new floors, expanding the ability of his department to care for children with cancer.
All of these innovations have been made possible through the generosity of Hadassah's donors and we can all be very proud of the part we have played.
To add to the excitement of this visit, I, along with other members of the Hadassah International team, attended the dedication of the new area designated for the Altura Department of Human Genetics, where one of our team members, Sherry Altura, and her husband, Paul, were honored. Prof. Gideon Bach, chair of the department, escorted us on a tour of the new laboratories, the home of amazing new discoveries. They have already successfully treated a disease called Mucolipidosis, with the promise that cures for many other genetic disorders will surely emanate from this department.
After Israel, Executive Director Dr. Danielle Hilson and I traveled to Luxembourg, where the Honorable Karine Reding-Reuter is completing her four-year term as President of Hadassah Luxembourg. Karine announced that a magnanimous gift has been sent to Prof. Shlomo Maayan, head of Hadassah?s AIDS Center, for treatment and prevention of AIDS in Africa. Then, we went on to Germany to meet the newly expanded Board of Directors and to hear their plans for the year ahead.
I am very moved by the activity of the volunteers and professionals in our units, who are generating significant gifts in the quiet phase of the campaign to build a new Medical Tower on the Hadassah Ein Kerem campus. Donors from England, France, Mexico, and Switzerland have been invited to attend the cornerstone mission, which will take place in Jerusalem in March.
I know you will join me in wishing bon voyage to Norma Lenore, Hadassah International?s liaison to New Zealand, who will be traveling to New Zealand to participate in the unit?s 10th anniversary celebration. From there, Norma will meet with our Hadassah International leaders in Australia.
Once again, I want to thank each of you for your devotion to the Hadassah Medical Organization.
In friendship,
Marlene
|
| |
The Marlene E. Post Athletic Center
|
|
|
|
Our Hadassah International President Marlene Post was honored in January with the dedication of the Marlene E. Post Athletic Center at the Hadassah Neurim Youth Village in Israel. The official inauguration took place during the Hadassah America National Board Mission to Israel.
Hadassah Neurim, a project of Hadassah America, is a residential school mainly serving students from disadvantaged backgrounds. At Neurim, thanks to Hadassah, a number of talented students are training to become Olympic athletes.
Among the Athletic Center?s features are a brand new athletic stadium and running track. During the ceremonies, Marlene, also a former National President of Hadassah America, donned a pair of sneakers and sprinted down the track with a student athlete!
It is traditional in Hadassah to honor former National Presidents by having them choose a project that will bear their name. This choice spoke loudly to Marlene, who has worked tirelessly on behalf of disabled athletes for many years.
As she noted in her speech at the dedication: ?In sports you think differently, you approach life differently, you psych yourself up to move forward, to become a winner. It is a wonderful way to build up one?s physical and mental abilities.? Marlene added that she hopes the student athletes will take what they learn about themselves on the playing field out into the world.
Back to top
|
| |
| | |
|
| Hadassah Headliners: |
| |
| |
Prestigious Global Achievement for Hadassah!
|
|
|
The Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine has been designated a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Capacity Building in Public Health. The Center will serve as a think tank on public health for the 52 countries in the WHO European Region. The goal will be to decide priorities in public health policy and to plan public health initiatives, as well as supervise standards for training public health workers.
Prof. Elliot Berry, Director of the Braun School?s Department of Human Nutrition and Metabolism, and past Braun School Director, will serve as head of the Center. The Collaborating Center will be within the Braun School, currently directed by Prof. Shmuel Shapira, who is also Deputy Director General of the Hadassah Medical Organization.
Prof. Berry, along with Prof. Ted Tulchinsky of the Braun School faculty, worked on achieving this Center status for three years. During this time, they hosted a workshop on ?Capacity Building? in Jerusalem. The outgrowth of that workshop was a statement paper for the World Health Organization. Among the topics the Center will examine are nutrition and food fortification, counteracting obesity, neonatal nutrition, health promotion, violence prevention, and community mental health.
This prestigious honor bestowed by the WHO is effective for four years. Hadassah is then eligible for redesignation.
Hadassah International congratulates the Braun School
for this momentous achievement!
|
| |
| |
Operation DNA the Hadassah Way
|
|
|
A few months ago, Prof. Orly Elpeleg, Director of Hadassah?s Center of Excellence for Pediatric Metabolic Diseases, received the following letter from a Hadassah member in the United States:
"I am a 75-year-old woman, who had a child with glycogen storage disease. She died at 4.5 years old. I don't know where the recessive gene came from (what side of my family), or my husband, who is now deceased. I am in fear of where it will pop up again. Is there any way of detecting the gene?"
Prof. Elpeleg wrote back to say she would be happy to try to identify the gene, and asked the letter writer to send a sample of her DNA. The woman, however, was unable to locate a laboratory in the United States that would extract her DNA. Prof. Elpeleg?s response was that this was not a problem because Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, Hadassah Medical Organization Director General, was planning to be in New York with other senior Hadassah managers and they could bring a blood sample back to the Hadassah Medical Center, where the DNA could be tested. The DNA sequencer that would make this possible was purchased thanks to a donation from a generous Hadassah donor.
"Operation DNA" was put in gear: A sample of the woman?s blood was taken in her hometown, sent via FedEx to Hadassah headquarters in New York, and then brought to Jerusalem by Dr. Yair Birnbaum, Director of Hadassah Hospital-Ein Kerem.
Prof. Elpeleg was able to determine that this woman carried the mutation that is common among Ashkenazi Jews. Instead of a ?c? (see photo), her DNA revealed ?c? and ?t.? It is a mutation that can be detected during pregnancy.
Of course, the woman was most appreciative!Back to top
|
| |
| | |
|
| Hadassah Medical Newsbytes |
| |
| |
Hadassah Hosts First International Congress on
Chronic Disorders in Children
|
|
|
The First International Congress on Chronic Disorders in Children will be hosted by the Hadassah Medical Center?s Pediatric Departments and the Israeli Pediatric Association, April 26-27, 2007 in Jerusalem on Mount Scopus. This Congress will be part of the events celebrating the opening of the new ?Center for Pediatric Genetic and Chronic Diseases? at Hadassah Hospital-Mount Scopus.
The Congress is being held in conjunction with the Editor?s Choice forum, which consists of the editors-in-chief of the major pediatric textbooks: Dr. Robert Kliegman, Nelson?s Textbook of Pediatrics; Dr. Colin Rudolph, Rudolph?s Textbook of Pediatrics; and Dr. Avroy Fanaroff, Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. In addition, Dr. Abraham Rudolph, emeritus editor of Rudolph?s Textbook of Pediatrics, Dr. Hugh O?Brodovich, former editor of Pediatric Research, and Dr. John Reisman from the Children?s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Canada will be distinguished guests.
Leaders in the care of children with chronic diseases from Israel and abroad will lecture on a wide range of topics including advances in pediatric chronic care, the human aspect of chronic care, and current practice for children with chronic disease. Pediatricians, general practitioners, nurses, rehabilitative specialists, counselors, social workers, and students are all invited to participate in the congress. To register, e-mail elisheva@internationaltc.co.il. For additional details and the full program, click here.
|
| |
| |
Hadassah Parkinson?s Research Boosted with Fox Foundation Grant
|
|
|
Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd., an Israeli biotechnology company held by Hadasit Bio-Holdings Ltd., was awarded $660,000 over two years from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
Bio-Holdings Ltd. is a subsidiary of Hadasit, Hadassah?s biotechnology transfer company. The grant is specifically for conducting research on the use of neural cells derived from human embryonic stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease. "The Michael J. Fox Foundation is one of the most influential bodies in the fight against Parkinson's," said Dr. Charles Irving, Chief Operating Officer of Cell Cure. "We are delighted that the Foundation has recognized this project?s potential to have a major impact on millions of lives. The award will aid our scientific team in advancing this important research toward clinical trials in humans.? Founded in 2000, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson?s Research is dedicated to ensuring the development of a cure for Parkinson?s disease within this decade through an aggressively funded research agenda. The Foundation has funded over $90 million in research to date, either directly or through partnerships. More?
|
| |
| |
Will Asking for Saliva, Rather Than Blood, Expand Bone Marrow Registry?
|
|
|
The Hadasssah Medical Organization and the Zichron Menachem voluntary organization in Jerusalem have launched a campaign to find suitable bone marrow donors by offering to take saliva rather than blood samples from potential participants. This is the first time such a drive has been set up in Israel, with the hope that more people will be encouraged to become donors if they don?t have to submit to needle punctures.
The samples will be processed in a United States laboratory, and the tissue types will be stored in an international data bank.
|
| |
| |
Hadassah Cardiologists Save Children in China
|
|
|
A delegation of pediatric cardiologists from the Hadassah Medical Center and two other Israeli hospitals, under the auspices of the Israeli Health Ministry, spent 10 days in China operating on 21 children with heart problems. Covering a region of 70 million people, they took the opportunity to train local medical staff in the latest catheterization techniques and visited children who had previously been operated on in Israel. In addition, they identified other Chinese children with complicated medical problems who would need to be brought to our Hadassah Medical Center for treatment.
Aside from dealing with cardiac problems, the physicians gave lectures to local doctors and nurses on emergency medicine and trauma treatment.
|
| |
| |
Hadassah To The Rescue In Kazakhstan
|
|
|
In a village called Symkent in the southern part of Kazakhstan, 80 children have tested positive for HIV infection as a result of receiving contaminated blood transfusions. Eight have already died. Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev has pledged to take urgent steps to combat this epidemic. One way he has chosen is to tap into the Hadassah Medical Center?s expertise.
Dr. Tatiana Guslizther, a member of Hadassah's AIDS unit, agreed to go to Kazakhstan to help. Dr. Guslizther, originally from Russia, immigrated to Israel 16 years ago after graduating from medical school in Moscow. She completed her training in infectious diseases at Hadassah. Dr. Guslizther relates that the plan is to set up a center in Kazakhstan, built on the Ethiopian model developed by Prof. Shlomo Maayan, head of Hadassah?s AIDS Center. The model includes making site visits to the affected area, bringing local health professionals to Israel for training, and improving local laboratory services.
|
| |
| |
Hadassah?s AIDS Expert Joins Australian Team to Test Vaccine
|
|
|
Prof. Shlomo Maayan, Head of Hadassah?s AIDS Center, has joined a team of researchers from Australia?s Perth University to help combat AIDS in Africa. He will be working under a program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has pledged to donate 287 million dollars over the next five years toward the development of an AIDS vaccine. The team will administer an experimental vaccine to members of the African population, based on their particular genetic backgrounds, with the hope of reducing infection within the population.
|
| |
| |
Hadassah Helps Stem Tuberculosis Epidemic
|
|
|
The Hadassah Medical Center has found that a newly invented rapid test to diagnose tuberculosis is highly reliable and efficient. This test was developed by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore Maryland, USA; the Imperial College, London; and Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, in Lima, Peru.
According to Prof. Shlomo Maayan, Head of Hadassah?s AIDS Center, this test is of major importance because the spread of HIV infection weakens the body?s immune system and makes it susceptible to tuberculosis. Hadassah?s AIDS Center has been approached to help introduce the test to Africa via Ethiopia, as part of the Israel Consortium on AIDS medicine in Ethiopia.
|
| |
| |
Malaysia Connections
|
|
|
Prof. Joseph Shenkar, Senior Gynecologist at the Hadassah Medical Center and an expert on women?s health, participated in the 2006 World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Malaysia. While he was in the country, he toured the hospitals and met with obstetricians and patients. In medicine, he notes, ?you establish connections even with countries that have no formal relations with Israel.?
|
| |
| |
Altura Department of Genetics Becomes a Reality
|
|
|
This January, Sherry Altura, Hadassah International Liaison to Latin America, and her husband, Paul, experienced the dedication of the Altura Department of Human Genetics, made possible by their generous donation. ?On previous visits to Hadassah,? Sherry notes, ?it was very obvious to us that the Genetics Laboratory was overcrowded and in need of renovation and expansion. To witness the outcome with our own eyes for the first time was quite an emotional event for us; to see something tangible that we had a part in creating which is so beautiful and positive for humanity makes all our work worthwhile!?
Photo, from left: Prof. Gideon Bach, Head, Department of Human Genetics; Dr. Yair Birnbaum, Deputy Director General, Hadassah Medical Center; June Walker, President, Hadassah America; Sherry Altura; Paul Altura
|
| |
| |
Editors' note:
|
|
|
Hadassah Medical Newsbytes are excerpted from The Jerusalem Netletter, Hot Off the Press, The Heart Institute Newsletter, Windows on Hadassah, and correspondence from the Hadassah Medical Organization and its website. We invite you to visit our website, www.hadassah-international.org, for archived Hadassah news from past eBulletins and News Flashes.
Back to top
|
| | |
|
| Forging Bonds |
| |
| |
Wife of Kenyan Foreign Minister Receives Briefing about Hadassah AIDS Outreach
|
|
|
| Mrs. Masi Tuju
|
While visiting Hadassah this month, Mrs. Masi Tuju, wife of the Kenyan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Raphael Tuju, met with Prof. Shlomo Maayan, head of Hadassah?s AIDS Center, and Prof. Dan Engelhard, head of Pediatrics and Specialist in Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at Hadassah Hospital-Ein Kerem, who both spearhead AIDS projects in Africa. Following their meeting, they were joined for lunch by Prof. Alon Mozes, head of the Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, where they continued their discussions.
In the afternoon, Estelle Rubinstein, Deputy Director of Social Work Services, gave a slide show presentation about the recent visit by Hadassah?s clinical team to Ethiopia and their work in AIDS treatment at two Ethiopian orphanages. Mrs. Tuju was most interested in the team?s work, as well as the possibility for similar collaborations in Kenya.
|
| |
| |
Breakfast Meeting Opens the Door to Investment in Hadassah
|
|
|
| Ophir Shahaf
|
With the goal of creating greater visibility for Hadassah?s technology and transfer company, Hadasit--particularly its publicly traded subsidiary, Hadasit Bio-Holdings Ltd (HBL)--Hadassah France organized a breakfast meeting featuring HBL?s managing director, Ophir Shahaf. Hadassah France invited 70 prominent businessmen and financial consultants to participate. The President of the French Israel Chamber of Commerce, Henri Cukierman, was helpful in providing the names of potential supporters.
While in Paris, Mr. Shahaf also had private meetings with a potential investor and a venture capitalist. Investors in HBL gain the opportunity to support the cutting-edge discoveries of biotechnology, originating at Hadassah.
Inviting Mr. Shahaf to speak, related Bea Birnbaum, Director of Development for Europe, enabled Hadassah France to raise awareness about the Hadassah Medical Center within a segment of people who would not otherwise attend a Hadassah meeting. Mr. Lillian from JH Lillian and Co. Inc. further increased Hadasit?s visibility by discussing the advantages of investing with HBL on the Jewish Radio station, RCJ, during a Sunday morning prime time show.
Hadassah France plans to organize a press conference the next time Mr. Shahaf is in Europe.
|
| |
| |
Science King is Impressed by Israeli Brain Trust
|
|
|
United Kingdom Physicist Stephen Hawking was in Israel recently to give a lecture about black holes and to promote British science. While in Israel, he was impressed to learn about Israel's creation of a brain trust aimed at curing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), from which he suffers. The Hadassah Medical Center is among the medical institutions that will receive funding from the Israel Society for ALS to put the best minds to work on this degenerative nerve disease.
|
| |
| |
Hadassah Germany Devotee Tours Hadassah Medical Center
|
|
|
Hadassah Germany?s Helga Guttmann, a long-time supporter of Israel, visited the Hadassah Medical Center in January, accompanied by her husband, Robert. During their visit, they conversed with Dr. Alex Avidan, a German-speaking physician in Hadassah?s Department of Anesthesiology.
Photo, from left: Shoshana Matan, Liaison to Hadassah International in Jerusalem; Anat Atzmon, the Guttmanns' guide; Robert and Helga Guttmann
|
| |
| |
French Connections
|
|
|
The French Attach?or Science and Technology within the French Embassy in Israel, Philippe Carlevan, wants to expand French-Israeli collaboration, particularly in the medical and scientific fields. To further that goal, he visited Hadassah this month and met with several of Hadassah?s French-speaking physicians. He was accompanied by Camille Bex of the Embassy?s Scientific Mission. Together, they brainstormed possibilities for interaction between Hadassah physicians and physicians in France, including conferences and mutual research.
Photo, from left: Camille Bex; Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Bisher Marzouqa; Prof. Azaria Rein, head of Pediatric Cardiology in Hadassah?s Heart Institute; Mr. Carlevan; and Shoshana Matan, Liaison to Hadassah International in JerusalemBack to top
|
| |
| | |
|
| Young Hadassah International |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
All Roads Lead to Rome This Summer!
|
|
|
We are delighted to hold our first Young Hadassah International Conference in Rome, Italy, July 5-8, 2007, during the Maccabi European Games! Join us as we learn about the groundbreaking medical research and global outreach performed by the Hadassah Medical Organization.
We hope you will come and bring many Young Hadassah friends with you!
Conference Highlights:
- Learn about the Hadassah Medical Organization
- Enjoy a special event co-hosted by Young Hadassah and the Maccabi Games
- Network with friends, corporate representatives, and colleagues from around the globe
- Hear from our outstanding Hadassah physicians
- Attend the inspirational opening event of the 12th European Maccabi Games
- Catch the latest political update on the State of Israel
- Sip cocktails at the pool-side party
- Explore Rome!
The conference will be held at the modern, elegantly styled Sheraton Hotel. We look forward to seeing you in Rome!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
|
| |
| |
Hadassah Italy?s Yonit: Have Great Message--Will Travel!
|
|
|
| Yonit Schechtman
|
Picture 200 young students. They come from all over Europe. And each one of them learns about Young Hadassah International during a winter camp gathering. How? Because Hadassah Italy Chair Yonit Schechtman had the idea to make a presentation about Young Hadassah International to them during this week-long event, sponsored by Unione Giovani Ebrei d'Italia (UGEI, the Italian Union of Jewish Students). Yonit also saw to it that there was a lottery game, with all the proceeds going to Hadassah! The goal, of course, is to get these students to take an active part in future Young Hadassah International initiatives.
|
| |
| |
With Every Ending There is a New Beginning
|
|
|
| Victoria Jossel and Stacey Plax
|
As it befits a very dynamic group, Young Hadassah United Kingdom (UK) is going through an important succession of leadership. Created in 1999, this unit, one of Young Hadassah International?s strongest, was founded and ?brought up? by Stacey Plax and Victoria Jossel.
These two unique volunteers were in a traumatic jeep accident in Israel and their lives were saved by Hadassah Hospital (click here for full story). After such a severe accident, a person, once cured, could choose not to look back. But not Stacey or Victoria. They did not take their new-found health for granted and wanted Hadassah to have the means to help other people as they themselves had been helped. They decided to create Young Hadassah UK to raise awareness about and funds for Hadassah Hospital. One of the major fundraising events they created was a World Wide Walk to raise money for the department that saved Stacey?s life.
These actions show what wonderful individuals Stacey and Victoria are and how wonderful they are as volunteers. Both Victoria and Stacey were active in the early phase of Young Hadassah International?s development worldwide as members of the first international board of volunteers.
After eight years of steadfast commitment to Young Hadassah UK and to the Hadassah Hospitals, Stacey Plax and Victoria Jossel are making way for a new leadership team to bring their unit up to yet another level of professionalism and powerful fundraising capacities.
Having gone through a tough period during which something as simple as talking was a tremendous effort, Stacey decided to become a speech and language therapist to help those who are going through similar difficulties. Although Stacey has decided she needs to focus more on her work right now, she plans to continue being a motivator for new units within Young Hadassah International. She has been instrumental in helping to form a new unit in D?orf, Germany and has always been an inspiration for Young Hadassah Holland and many others.
As for Victoria, she was recently elected to be the next Chair of Young Hadassah International! Victoria will be installed as Chair of Young Hadassah International on July 8, 2007 during our very first YHI Conference in Rome.
We would like to thank both Victoria and Stacey for their inspiration as they led the exemplary unit of Young Hadassah UK. We look forward to many more exciting contributions from these two wonderful volunteers.
| | | |
Two New Shining Stars
|
| |
| Deborah Fisher (left)
and Charlotte Witzenfeld
|
There are two shining stars stepping up to become the next co-chairs of Young Hadassah UK in July: Deborah Fisher (now a member of the YHI Board) and Charlotte Witzenfeld. Both young ladies are very active in Young Hadassah UK and were key to the development of this unit and the recent series of successful events.
Deborah Fisher, 24, moved to London from South Africa when she was a child. She has supported Hadassah ever since her friends, Stacey and Victoria, had their jeep accident and has been actively involved in Young Hadassah UK for the past two years. Each time Deborah visits Hadassah Hospital, her commitment to Hadassah is reinforced. As she relates, ?I am passionate about what Hadassah does and what it stands for, and look forward to the future growth of Young Hadassah UK.?
Deborah?s Co-Chair, Charlotte (Charlie) Witzenfeld, is currently the Public Relations Director for Young Hadassah UK. Recently, she gave a speech about Hadassah in her synagogue on Yom Kippur, the Jewish holiday of atonement. During this holiday, congregants often are asked to give money to a charity. Standing before 500 people, Charlie single-handedly raised 7,000 pounds for the Hadassah Medical Center!
Young Hadassah International warmly welcomes the Co-Chairs to their new roles, and wishes them lots of success as they lead Young Hadassah UK.Back to top
| | | |
