Medical Services

The ICA provides 5-year funding for healthcare positions, provided that the Oncology Institute hires the healthcare professional upon the completion of the 5-year period. The upgrade of the entire multi-professional psycho-oncological care network for cancer patients across Israel has been made possible thanks to this investment.

Among other activities, the ICA has established a network of community oncology nurses, stoma nurses, breast health nurses and social workers, patient navigators, and psycho-oncological staff members, who receive ongoing professional training sessions provided by the ICA. 

• Breast Cancer Care Coordinators and Patient Navigators

The ICA continues to provide funding for special nursing and social work positions for healthcare professionals who serve as breast cancer care coordinators and patient navigators accompanying patients across the disease trajectory.  This ICA-initiated project aims to accompany the breast cancer patient throughout the entire period that breast cancer remains a personal concern - from diagnosis and treatment to follow-up - and to provide her with information, support and assistance, thus helping to significantly ease the burden of coping with the disease. This service is currently provided in many medical centers across the country.  Some of these centers have already permanently established this service, and the ICA continues to update the personnel who meet at ICA headquarters throughout the year.  Thanks to ICA's efforts, a national network of health professionals has been formed to maintain ongoing contact with breast cancer patients, and attend to their well-being.

• Additional Nursing Services

The ICA provides funding for Breast Cancer Care Coordinator and Patient Navigator posts as well as Palliative Care Nursing posts at the following medical centers: Western Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Poriyah Medical Center in Tiberias, Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Upper Galilee Hospice and Clalit Health Services.

• Psycho-oncology Services

The ICA continues to provide funding for Social Work positions at the following medical centers: Western Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Ha'emek Medical Center in Afula, Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Hadassah Mt. Scopus and Hadassah Ein Karem Medical Centers in Jerusalem, Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, "Edy's House" - Ma'agan Community Support Center for Cancer Patients and their Families in Beer-Sheva,  Clalit Health Services and Maccabi Healthcare Services.

The ICA continues to provide funding for psychology positions in oncology units at the following oncology institutes: Western Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Ha'emek Medical Center in Afula, Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, Bnei Zion Medical Center in Haifa, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel in Petah Tikva, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Tzrifin, and Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.

• Diet and Nutrition Services

The ICA continues to support diet and nutrition services at the following medical centers: Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Tzrifin and Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. 

• Bone Marrow Transplantation

The ICA continues to provide the necessary funding for professional posts for the complicated procedure of autologous (self-donated) bone marrow transplantations and donor bone marrow transplantations, in children with cancer, at the Pediatric Oncology Center at Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel in Petah Tikva.  The ICA has helped finance the unit's operation since its establishment, and continues to assist in financing its personnel employment and training.   Additionally, assistance has been provided to pediatric oncology wards at Hadassah Medical Center Ein Karem Campus, Tel Aviv Medical Center, and Rambam Health Care Campus, where ICA assisted in the set-up of the hospital's Pediatric Oncology Ward.

• The National Umbilical Cord Blood Bank

This Bank was established as a joint venture between the Magen David Adom Blood Service, Wolfson Medical Center and the Hadassah Medical Organization, with funding from a generous donation provided by the Friends of the ICA in London, headed by Vered Aharon.  This ICA-funded national service is operated by the Magen David Adom Blood Service.  ICA's financial assistance has helped purchase a freezer for preserving umbilical cord blood dedicated in memory of the late Natalie Shaya and has also funded a part-time lab technician position to manage the Cord Blood Bank. Additionally, one year's salary has been financed for an employee to collect cord blood doses in labor and delivery rooms at the Hadassah Medical Center, Ein Karem Campus.

• Palliative Care Programs for Advanced Stage Cancer Patients

The ICA continues to operate the Home Hospice Services at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, a hospice established with ICA's assistance. The ICA also continues to support healthcare programs incorporating palliative care and psycho-social nursing care, which are provided at hospices and through Home Hospice Services throughout the country, and aimed at providing palliative care for advanced stage cancer patients.  These ICA-assisted programs are run at medical centers and community clinics across Israel.

• The ICA invests efforts in developing and promoting new programs and innovative projects to enhance services provided to cancer patients, while prioritizing unique projects directly involving the treatment of patients and their families.  The following is a list of this year's ICA-supported projects:

• "Patient and Community Relations" - palliative care consultation provided by the Upper Galilee Hospice in the geriatric, internal medicine and surgical wards at the Rebecca Sieff Medical Center in Safed.
  
  

• Upgrade and incorporation of the Psychological Service in oncology and palliative care at the Oncology Unit, Hematology and Hemato-oncology Ward at the Rebecca Sieff Medical Center in Safed.
  
  
• A social work service at the Institute of Human Genetics at the Western Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya.
  
  

• Support and information groups for family members of advanced staged cancer patients at the Western Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya.
  
  

• Treatment for uterine and cervical cancer patients treated with internal radiotherapy (brachytherapy) at the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.
  
  
• "Mothers for Mothers" - support group at the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Department at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.
  
  
• Accompaniment of advanced stage oncology patients and their families at the Division of Oncology at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.
  
  
• Traditional Arab nutrition and medicine training services, to support patients from Arab society at the Oncology Service at Lin Medical Center in Haifa.
  
  
• Continuity-of-care for breast cancer patients at the Institute of Oncology at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba.
  
  
• Support group for parents of childhood cancer patients of Arab society, at the Division of Pediatric Oncology, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva.
  
  
• A social work service for the Ear Nose and Throat Clinic and Head and Neck Tumors Clinic at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
  
  
• Palliative Care Service at the Oncology and Hematology Institute, at the Hospital Admissions Dept. and Hemato-oncology Dept. at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
  
  
• Intake services for newly diagnosed patients and patients with recurrent disease at the Hematology Institute at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.

• Treatment for newly diagnosed Russian speaking breast cancer patients at the Breast Oncology Institute at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
  
  
• Psychological Service at the Ear Nose and Throat Division and Head and Neck Tumors Clinic at Sourasky Tel Aviv Medical Center.
  
  
• Crisis intervention service for inpatients - providing emotional and systemic solutions for inpatients and for advanced stage cancer patients at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer.
  
  
• Cognitive rehabilitation for children with premalignant syndromes and children recovering from cancer at Hadassah Medical Center Ein Karem Campus, Jerusalem.
  
  
• "Making it easier to cope - nutritional aspects for children", support service for the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Dept. at Hadassah Medical Center Ein Karem Campus, Jerusalem.
  
  
• Psychology Service at the Oncogenetic Clinic at Hadassah Medical Center Ein Karem Campus, Jerusalem.
  
  
• Survivors Clinic, Integrative Medicine at the Hadassah Medical Center Ein Karem Campus, Jerusalem.
  
  
• Social work service for the Head and Neck Tumors Clinic at Hadassah Medical Center Ein Karem Campus, Jerusalem.
  
  
• Accompaniment and support for patients, Beit Nathan Jerusalem.
  
  
• "Coping Together" - a support group for newly diagnosed cancer patients at the Oncology Institute and the Gynecology-Oncology Unit at the Soroka Medical Center, Be'er Sheva.
  
  
• "My Story", playback workshop for cancer survivors at Edy's House - Ma'agan Community Support Center for Cancer Patients and their Families in Beer-Sheva.
  
  
• "The Secret of Memory", workshop for enhancing cognitive capacities at Edy's House - Ma'agan Community Support Center for Cancer Patients and their Families in Beer-Sheva.
  
  
• "Beyond Words", self-expression and creative art therapy at Edy's House - Ma'agan Community Support Center for Cancer Patients and their Families in Beer-Sheva.

• For many years, the ICA has invested countless efforts in upgrading the onoclogy treatment network to enhance services offered to cancer patients and their families, by allocating funds for projects and posts for healthcare professionals (nurses, social workers, dieticians and other professionals).  ICA's assistance has enabled the establishment of a significant and impressive infrastructure of psycho-social services and targeted nursing services within the oncology network.    This year the ICA is allocating funds for positions at medical centers and within the community as specified below:  

• Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Tzrifin: Psychological and sexual counseling, Urology Dept. and Oncology Institute, Dietician, and Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Department of Oncology.
  
  
• Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon: Social Worker at the Home Hospice, Dietician and Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Unit.
  
  
• Bnei Zion Medical Center, Haifa: Psychologist attending to patients and their families at the Hematology Unit and in the various cancer treatment units.
  
  
• Clalit Health Services (CHS): Palliative Care Nurse at the Holon-Bat Yam Home Hospice Unit, Nurse at the Palliative Care Call Service for oncology patients - at the CHS National Health Call Center, Social Worker at the Home Hospice in Ashkelon, Social Worker to expand social services at the Community Oncology Center in Nazareth.
  
  

• Hadassah Medical Center, Ein Karem Campus, Jersualem: Social Worker at the Pediatric Home Hospice at the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Dept., Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar and Social Worker who provides Psycho-Social Services at the Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Breast Center at the Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Social Work Coordinator for Fertility Preservation and Gynecological Services.
  
  
• Hadassah Medical Center, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem: Social Worker at the Admissions Hospice.
  
  
• Ha'emek Medical Center - Afula: Palliative Care Social Worker for Patients with Advanced-Stage Cancer at the Oncology, Internal Medicine, Surgical and Gynecological Wards, Medical Psychologist who works with patients and family and medical staff at the Hematology Unit.
  
  
• Hospice Upper Galiee: Head Nurse.
  
  
• Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot: Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Institute.
  
  
• "Edy's House" -Ma'agan Community Support Center for Cancer Patients and their Families in Beer-Sheva: Social Worker.
  
  
• Maccabi Healthcare Services:  Palliative Care Social Worker for Terminally Ill Patients at the Home Care Unit in the North.
  
  
• Meir Hospital, Kfar Saba: Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Institute of Oncology.
  
  
• Poriyah Hospital, Tiberias: Palliative Care Nurse Coordinator for Oncology Patients admitted in hospitals, Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Institute.
  
  
• Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva: Cancer Patient Follow up Registrant at the Oncology Institute.
  
  
• Rambam Medical Center, Haifa: Social Worker who integrates children with cancer back into the education system - at the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Dept., Psychological Service at the Survivors Clinic in the Oncology Complex, Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Institute.
  
  
• Rebecca Sieff Hospital, Safed: Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Unit, Social Worker at the Hemato-Oncology Clinic.
  
  
• Schneider Children's Medical Center, Petach Tikva: Psychologist.
  
  
• Shaare Zedek Hospital - Jerusalem: Coordinator of the BRCA1, BRCA2 Gene Mutation Carriers Clinic at the Genetic Counseling and Diagnosis Center, Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Institute.
  
  
• Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer: Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Institute.
  
  
• Sir Charles Clore Hostel - Givatayim: the entire medical and nursing staff.
  
  
• Soroka Medical Center, Be'er Sheva: Social Worker for the Social Service for elderly Russian speaking patients at the Oncology Institute, Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Institute.
  
  
• Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv: Social Worker for individual and group intervention for children who have undergone transplantation at the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, at the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Dept., Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Institute. 
  
  
• Wolfson Medical Center, Holon: Breast Nurse Navigator at the Imagining, Surgical and Oncology Wards, Social Worker for Continuity-of-care at the Gyneco-Oncology Ward, Palliative Care Coordinating Nurse at the Hematology, Oncology and Internal Medicine Wards.
  
  
• Western Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya: Breast Nurse Navigator, Social Worker for patients from Arab Society, Palliative Care Nurse, Psychologist, Palliative Care Social Worker, Breast Health Coordinator Social Worker, Cancer Patient Follow up Registrar at the Oncology Institute.

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