BGU | MY PATH, Haim Doron, MD

Thus, the vitalization of family medicine and its transformation into a recognized specialty in Israel was, at its genesis, an endeavor of Clalit. It is important to stress that this endeavor, pioneered by Clalit, came to be the province of all the sick funds. Family medicine also became a full-fledged department in all four medical schools in Israel. I believe that the new school of medicine in Tzfat in the Galilee being established by Bar-Ilan University in collaboration with the nearby government hospital, the Ziv Medical Center will follow suit, contributing its share to the development and strengthening of primary medicine in the community. While the Ministry of Health, as the navigator of policy and operations at government-run hospitals was not involved in this important process, it cannot stay on the sidelines in regard to the future and the quality of community medicine. Today, one must view the future of family medicine as a national mission that to a large extent will determine the level of medicine in Israel to come. The future of specialization in family medicine hinges to a large extent on incentives that the state must grant on the periphery of the country for all specialties -- not just family medicine. The medical schools have a special role to play in strengthening their departments of family medicine.

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