Innovation and acceleration centers in several Israeli medical centers are finding technological cures for global healthcare ills
Israel’s hospitals incubate products for a healthier world
Israeli hospitals aren’t only hubs of healing; they’re also emerging as global hubs of innovation.
What’s driving this trend? Three factors unique to Israel: An aggressive problem-solving approach, a robust innovation infrastructure, and a centralized, digitized healthcare system possessing 25 years of data from cradle-to-grave electronic medical records.
It all adds up to a powerful prescription for curing serious healthcare challenges across the world.
The number of hospital-sponsored innovation centers or healthcare accelerators is believed to be higher per capita in Israel than anywhere else. In the United States, several innovation centers have begun in prominent hospitals including the Mayo Clinic, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Of course, Israel also has a robust healthcare accelerator/incubator scene outside of the hospital environment. These programs — among them Trendlines Medical, eHealth Ventures, FutuRx, Alon MedTech Ventures, NGT3, RAD BioMed Accelerator, Samsung Runway and MedXelerator – often have backing from the government and from global healthcare, pharma and medical device companies.
According to Start-Up Nation Central’s 2017-2018 Digital Health Report, the Israeli government also is planning to establish digital health innovation labs.
The huge amount of patient data accumulated at the government-run
Sheba Medical Center, the largest and most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East, underpins the
Sheba ARC (Accelerate Redesign Collaborate) Innovation Center.
In 2017, Sheba brought back to Israel Dr. Nathalie Bloch – she earned her medical degree at Tel Aviv University and master of public administration at Harvard University — after 14 years in Boston to build and head ARC with Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Eyal Zimlichman.
Currently, 20 projects spearheaded by Sheba physicians are incubating at ARC. One uses machine learning to track the progression of macular degeneration and predict which treatment is best for each patient. Another uses sensors and a smartphone app to enable discharged cardiology patients to do cardiac rehab at home under remote guidance. --
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ISRAEL21c was founded in 2001, in the wake of the Second Intifada, to broaden public understanding of Israel beyond typical portrayals in the mainstream media.
The organization’s founders – Israeli-American technology executives – understood the great power of the Internet and developed a first-of-its kind online product with global appeal and reach.
