The Israel Healthcare Highlights Podcast

Health literacy: the ability to find, understand, and use health information

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.

A population and evolutionary genetics success story, spanning Israel, Africa, and North America

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.In this episode, Professor Skorecki shares the story behind a breakthrough discovery that links population genetics to kidney disease disparities—especially among individuals of sub-Saharan African descent. His journey, driven by curiosity and social responsibility, led to the identification of a genetic variant that confers early-life protection but increases kidney disease risk later in life.
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.

Addressing Israel's mental health crisis through innovative digitals tools and municipal responses

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. 

The impending shortage of physicians in Israel: challenges, root causes, and policy responses

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. 

From Bedside to Bench: Building Israel’s Physician-Scientist Career Path

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.

How AI Is Revolutionizing IVF: Inside Fairtility's Tech Journey

In this episode Bruce interviews Iran Eshed, CEO and founder of Fairrtility, about applying AI, data science, and automation to IVF—transforming a traditionally manual field to improve consistency, outcomes, and patient experience.
They discuss Israel's role as an IVF hub, global demand, the B2B clinic model, and the regulatory and clinical challenges of bringing AI into healthcare.

How Israeli Health Tech Is Transforming Global Healthcare

Bruce Rosen interviews Levy Shapiro, the founder of mHealth Israel, about Israel’s rapidly growing health tech ecosystem, its unique strengths—centralized data access, low-cost pilot sites, and strong R&D funding—and how Israeli startups are scaling solutions for health systems around the world.
The episode highlights real examples of international collaboration, investment trends, and the practical benefits patients and health systems have seen from adopting Israeli technologies.

Inside Clalit's AI Revolution: Predictive Care Transforming Healthcare

This episode explores Clalit Health Services' advanced AI clinical systems that deliver proactive, population-level care—from predictive models embedded in primary care workflows to AI-assisted imaging and treatment recommendations.
Professor Ron Balicer - Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Director General at Clalit Health Services - explains how Clalit's research-to-practice approach, long-term digital data, and collaborations (including with Harvard) drive real-world innovations and international partnerships to improve patient outcomes.

Inside Israel’s HMOs: Competition, Care and Community

Professor Shlomo Mor-Yosef explains how Israel’s four health plans (Kupot Cholim) operate within a government-funded system, where centralized financing meets decentralized delivery. He highlights how competition among the HMOs drives service improvements—digital care, accessible clinics, and expanded mental-health services—and keeps insurers responsive to patients who can easily switch plans.
Drawing on his experience in hospitals, government and health plans, Mor-Yosef contrasts the different perspectives and priorities of each sector and emphasizes the need for national planning to ensure equal access across Israel’s center and periphery.

Telepharmacy Revolution: Israel’s Hotline Bringing Pharmacists to Patients

This episode explores a telepharmacy pilot run by the Pharmaceutical Society of Israel: a simple phone-based call center that connects patients—especially the elderly—with pharmacists for medication advice, delivery help, and crisis support during emergencies.It also highlights efforts to promote pharmacists as healthcare providers through training, multilingual webinars, volunteer response during conflict, and the ongoing challenge of funding and expanding access to medication literacy and mental health support.

The strengths of the Israeli and US health systems, as told by a physician who knows them both

In this conversation, Dr. Shira Fischer of Brookline, Massachusetts, shares her insights on the strengths of both the Israeli and US healthcare systems. She discusses her background, connections to Israel, and the impressive aspects of the Israeli healthcare system, including universal coverage and advanced electronic records. Dr. Fischer also highlights the strengths of the US system, such as expertise and innovation in health technology, while suggesting that comparisons should be made at a state level rather than between countries.
Dr. Fischer spoke solely in a personal capacity and not on behalf of any organizations with which she is affiliated.
Takeaways: In Israel, everybody has health insurance. The Israeli healthcare system has a longitudinal record for decades. America has a lot of expertise in healthcare that is not available elsewhere. Israel can quickly track large populations for health data. In the U.S. access to healthcare data is not as good as perceived. The US healthcare system has a market for health tech innovation. Comparative insights should be made at a state level. Israel's healthcare successes could inform state-level policies in the US. Care coordination and technology interoperability are key areas for improvement. 

How a U.S. based health policy expert has been informing Israeli health policy for over 20 years

For over 20 years, leading health economist Sherry Glied has been a member of the international advisory committee of the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute and its Smokler Center for Health Policy Research. In that role she has provided strategic advice both to Israel's Ministry of Health and to one of Israel's premier health policy research groups.
Sherry Glied, Ph.D. was Dean of the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University from 2013-2025. From 2010-2012, Glied served as Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at HHS. She served as Senior Economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers in 1992-1993 and, in 2016-2017, on the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. She currently chairs the New York State Commission on the Future of Health Care. Glied is a member of the Board of Directors of Geisinger, the Milbank Fund, and the Social Science Research Council. She is a Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Brookings Institution and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, National Bureau of Economic Research, National Academy of Social Insurance, and the American Academy of Arts and Science.
In this interview for Israel Healthcare Highlights, Sherry explores the fascinating evolution of Israel's healthcare system, from its roots in small clinics to a robust, tech-savvy network. Discover how Israel's unique approach to healthcare, including a national formulary and innovative cost-control measures, has allowed it to adapt to economic and demographic changes. Learn about the system's strengths, such as its egalitarian benefit package and successful integration of supplemental insurance, which have positioned it as a model of efficiency and adaptability in the face of global healthcare challenges.
Key Highlights:
Discover the egalitarian benefit package that ensures healthcare for all.
Learn about the successful integration of supplemental insurance.
Understand how Israel's system serves as a model of efficiency and adaptability.
Featuring insights from Sherry Glied, a renowned U.S. expert in health policy, and Bruce Rosen, a key figure in Israeli health policy research, this episode offers a deep dive into the strengths and challenges of Israel's healthcare system. 
Related Links: https://wagner.nyu.edu/community/faculty/sherry-glied https://www.nyu.edu/about/leadership-university-administration/office-of-the-president/comms/sherry-glied-stepping-down-dean-of-wagner-school.html Hashtags: #HealthcareInnovation #IsraelHealthcare #HealthPolicy

Using AI to train medical students in the art of breaking bad news to patients and their families

How can we train for one of the most emotionally difficult moments in healthcare? And how can technology help doctors, social workers, and mental health professionals become more precise, humane, and empathetic?
In this compelling episode of Israel Healthcare Highlights, host Prof. Bruce Rosen is joined by Prof. Orit Karnieli-Miller, a global expert in healthcare communication and Endowed Chair in Medical Education of Dr. Sol Amsterdam & Dr. David P. Schumann, at Tel Aviv University, to explore one of healthcare’s most emotionally complex challenges: breaking bad news (BBN) to patients and families.
Drawing on decades of research and international leadership in the field, Prof. Karnieli-Miller discusses why BBN remains such a difficult skill to master, even for seasoned and compassionate professionals. She explains the impact of poorly delivered news: it can undermine trust, deepen suffering, and even lead to burnout among clinicians.
But there is a new approach - one that blends human connection with advanced technology. At the Gray Gray School of Medicine Prof. Karnieli-Miller, in collaboration with AI expert Dr. Zohar Elyoseph, developed BRAVE – Breaking Bad News with Reflective Virtual Experience – a groundbreaking AI-based simulator designed to help students and healthcare professionals practice delivering difficult news in a safe, interactive, and emotionally attuned setting and receive feedback.
BRAVE is more than just technology. It’s a pedagogical innovation built on evidence-based learning theories, and the SPwICES model for BBB sensitive communication. The simulator authentically represents the patient, to allow practice, and then “Dani” a communication expert who provides reflective, structured, and constructive feedback to improve performance. Looking ahead, BRAVE is being expanded to additional professions and use cases and adapted for multilingual, culturally sensitive implementations.
This is not just a technological leap it's a social mission. Want to learn more or to join the next pilot phase? Listen to this episode, contact the research team led by Prof. Karnieli-Miller oritkm@tauex.tau.ac.il or visit her lab website. 

The opening of three new medical schools in Israel - the inside story

An interview with Professor Yonatan Halevy, president of the Shaare Zedek Medical Center.
In view of the shortage in physician manpower in Israel, and the fact that 70% of licenses to practice medicine have been granted to Israelis graduating from foreign medical schools, the Minister of Education decided to appoint a committee chaired by Professor Halevy to set up criteria for opening new medical schools in Israel and later on to evaluate requests of research universities who do not have medical schools to establish such a school. The committee of 6 included, in addition to Professor Halevy, 2 former deans of existing medical schools and 3 prominent researchers from universities in Israel.
Requests were submitted by Reichman University, Weitzman Institute and Haifa University. After site visits and a thorough due diligence process, the Council of Higher Education, pursuant to the recommendation of the committee, approved a 4 year MD program at Reichman University, a 7.5 year MD/PhD program at the Weitzman Institute and a 6 year MD program at Haifa University. All three programs are to be opened in 2025.

Academic nursing: a vital and dynamic component of Israeli health care

As a nurse and and a full professor at the University of Haifa’s Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Prof. Shadmi offers a unique perspective on how nursing has evolved into a cornerstone of Israel’s healthcare system.
The discussion highlights major milestones in Israel’s nursing landscape: the academicization of RN training, the emergence of advanced practice roles like nurse practitioners, and the establishment of the country’s first independent PhD nursing program at the University of Haifa. Most notably, Prof. Shadmi introduces ADVANCE—the new Azrieli Advanced Nursing Center—which will serve as a national hub for innovation, training, research, and healthtech integration in nursing.
Tune in to explore how this transformative initiative aims to unlock the full potential of nursing in Israel and beyond.