Hadassah On Call

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) most American children contracted measles at some point before they turned 15 and a measles vaccine was introduced in 1963. As a result, health professionals studying this infectious disease, have not seen a significant record of the disease in quite some time, until now. This year, health officials are battling the worst year for the disease in 25 years. Reports show unvaccinated Americans have brought the disease back from abroad. The WHO (World Health Organization) reported a 300% increase in measles cases in the first three months of this year compared with the same time last year. Our guest in this episode; Professor Allon Moses is the Chairman of the Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Hadassah and also the head of Hadassah's newly opened Center for Infectious Diseases. He discusses important questions related Measles  and provides the best information regarding protecting yourself and your family from this preventable disease.

Did you know that when a heart attack occurs the most important thing to consider is time? Listen as Hadassah's Dr. Haim Danenberg describes the new Irma and Paul Milstein Heart Center at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem as the most advanced cardiac intensive care unit in Israel, perhaps even the world. He shares how Hadassah is revolutionizing the treatment of heart disorders and offers his best advice on prevention of heart disease.

Stroke (also known as cerebrovascular disease) occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so it starts to die. Yet, few may realize that not only is time of the essence during a stroke, but as The American Stroke Association notes 80% of stroke cases are preventable. Getting medical care as quickly as possible can help prevent death or minimize some of the lasting effects of stroke.In this episode of Hadassah on Call, Professor Ronen Leker, a leading expert at Hadassah Medical Organization discusses stroke and how he and his team of researchers are leading the way in exploring a novel cutting-edge stem cell treatment to reverse the disability a stroke leaves in its wake.

Celebrating his 40th year working at Hadassah Medical Organization, renowned expert Prof. A. Joseph Foldes discusses Osteoporosis and its causes. He provides vital information on the risk factors that could lead to damaging bone fractures and talks with our host about everything from available treatment options, conditions that may lead to the disease and other surprising diseases that may be linked to Osteoporosis.

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of World AIDS Day, which originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. Globally there are 36.7 million people living with HIV Worldwide. One of this year's themes is to Know Your Status, and it challenges us to work together to accelerate progress toward ending HIV as a public health threat around the world.Dr. Hila Elinav discusses her work with HIV infected mothers, the current state of HIV and AIDS today, and why is is vital to know your status.

What do you tell children in the aftermath of terrifying violence like we Americans just witnessed in the Squirrel Hill synagogue in Pittsburgh? What red flags must we be alert to in our children? How do we fortify ourselves so we can guide our children toward a return to normal life?World-renowned psychiatrist, Prof. Esti Galili-Weisstub of the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, has traveled to countless cities--from Berlin to Kiev to Las Vegas--to share her expertise in helping 800 children overcome the post-traumatic stress they experienced as victims of terror and other tragic events in Israel.

Worldwide, the pooled global prevalence of Celiac Disease is reported to be about 1.4% of the population, with many of those cases going undiagnosed. Left untreated, Celiac Disease can lead to long-term health complications including early onset osteoporosis, miscarriage and iron deficiency anemia. While a 100% gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment for celiac disease today, our guest on this episode, Prof. Michael Wilschanski, MD explains why many may not realize that. Wilschanski delves into the disease's relationship to dental issues, and obesity. He shares surprising ways of identifying and managing this disease, and the exciting research underway at Hadassah Medical Organization.

In recent decades, we have been facing an alarming increase in infections by bacteria resistant to all existing antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, both in the United States and around the world.In this fascinating segment, Professor Alon Moses, discusses this increase in resistant bactreria, the best ways to prevent the spread of hospital infections, and his new ground breaking bacteriophages therapy. This therapy uses a type of virus that efficiently and accurately attacks only their target bacteria. It has the potential to change the landscape of treatment for bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

Hadassah Medical Organization’s Bat Ami Center for Victims of Sexual Abuse was established in 2009. Open 24 hours a day the center consists of a team of physicians, nurses, social workers, and lawyers who have been carefully trained to deal with the trauma of abuse in both adults and children. Before the Center was established in 2009, victims had to go to the general emergency room, where they were often forced to wait much too long. The primary goal of the treatment at the Bat Ami Center is to return control to the victim. The person who has been assaulted decides whether to be examined by a gynecologist, to allow the collection of forensic evidence, or to press charges.Our guest in this episode; Dr. Dvora Bauman MD, Director of the Bat Ami Center discusses the current state of sexual abuse, #metoo, and how her philosophy of care is a bit different than what many people might be used to seeing for victims of sexual abuse.

Hadassah Medical Organization actually began with eye care.When Henrietta Szold and her mother Sophie visited pre-State Israel all the way back in 1909, they were horrified to see children with flies in their eyes. Their mothers didn't even bother to brush them away because they would just come back. Two public health nurses were dispatched in 1913 as Hadassah's first project: to cure trachoma.Although that dreaded disease is endemic in many countries in the world, you won't see it in Israel today. A hundred years later, Hadassah's outstanding ophthalmology department is marking its centennial. It is known for groundbreaking treatment and care that may save our eyesight, and it has served as a foundation for clinical and academic ophthalmology in the United States.Professor Itay Chowers joins the show to share fascinating stories of groundbreaking treatments, to discuss his vision and goals as the new Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at Hadassah Medical Organization and to share exciting innovations a

Nurses are some of society's most precious resources, and the nurses at Hadassah Medical Organization are dedicated to taking care of traumatic injuries with a compassion and caring that puts them at the forefront of advanced medicine. Julie Benbenishty, an Intensive Care Nurse at Hadassah who serves as the Trauma Nurse Coordinator at Hadassah Ein Kerem, is here to share her story about why she became a nurse, being a volunteer for Nurses of the Middle East, and why she has spent most of her career at Hadassah Hospital.

In this inspiring interview, Josh Schroeder, MD, spine specialist and senior surgeon at Hadassah Medical Organization's orthopedic department, describes his two recent groundbreaking, surgical techniques: a two-robot reconstructive surgery and the world's first robot-aided repair of a severe spinal fracture. He also talks about his experience as a military doctor and volunteer work at a Ugandan refugee camp.

In part two of this incredible episode, Prof. Benjamin Reubinoff, MD, Ph.D, world-renowned stem cell pioneer and director of the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center at the Hadassah Medical Organization, joins the show to discuss his research and to share the exciting news, that treatments or cures for diseases like age-related macular degeneration, ALS, MS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes could be a reality in the foreseeable future.

Advances in the field of medicine and technology have lead to an increase in the survival rate and life expectancy of children with chronic diseases and special needs.In this informative segment, we learn about the inspiring Pediatric Chronic Disease Center at Hadassah Medical Center from Dr. Eitan Kerem. He is the head of the Division of Pediatrics at the Hadassah Medical Center, founder of its Center for Children with Chronic Diseases, and the director of the center for cystic fibrosis at Hadassah Medical Organization.

A previously unrecognized genetic mutation causing a rare and devastating pediatric neurological disease – which has puzzled doctors around the world for years – was recently identified by Hadassah Medical Organization researchers in Israel.In this incredible segment, Professor Orly Elpeleg, discusses life as a gene detective and what it took to find this genetic mutation that was devastating families around the globe.

Twenty years ago, when stem cell therapy was highly regulated in the United States (as late as 2006) and other countries, it was well underway in Hadassah Medical Organization’s labs. Stem cells have changed the medical equation. The exciting news is that treatments or cures for diseases like age-related macular degeneration, ALS, MS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes, could be a reality in the foreseeable future. Prof. Benjamin Reubinoff, MD, Ph.D, world-renowned stem cell pioneer and director of the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center at the Hadassah Medical Organization, joins the show in part one of this fascinating interview!

Cystic fibrosis, a fatal genetic disease, causes a thick mucus buildup in the lungs and other organs that leads to breathing difficulty and increases susceptibility to life-threatening infections. More than 10 million Americans carry a faulty CF gene, many unknowingly.In this podcast, Dr. Eitan Kerem, Head of the Division of Pediatrics at the Hadassah Medical Organization, discusses important information for Jewish couples when they are considering genetic counseling before having children. His latest breakthroughs offer new hope to Cystic Fibrosis Patients.

Did you know with seriously high computer and math skills, medical insights and extreme motivation, experts are dedicating their talents to both understanding the mysteries of the human brain and at the same time solving some of the most crucial needs in clinical practice such as understanding Alzheimer's disease? Joining the show to speak about the exciting research into neuroimaging of the brain that can enable early detection of Alzheimer's disease to improve the prognosis for many people, is renowned Neuroscientist Dr. Shahar Arzy. He is the Director of the Computational Neuropsychiatry Lab and Neuropsychiatry Clinic and the Epilepsy Center, Hadassah Medical Organization.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of mortality among women. Despite the fact that for years, cardiovascular disease have been mainly associated with men; one in every two women will suffer from cardiovascular disease during her lifetime, and one in every three women will die from it. In recent years, there has been significant progress in the prevention and treatment of these diseases, but these achievements are still less compared to progress made among men.Listen to this important segment as Donna Zfat-Zwas, MD, MPH, Director of the Linda Joy Pullin Cardiovascular Wellness Institute for Women of the Hadassah Medical Organization, discusses what women need to do to become educated and reduce their risk of heart disease.

In the first systematic review and meta-analysis of trends in sperm count, researchers from the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report a significant decline in sperm concentration and total sperm count among men from Western countries.In this fascinating segment, Dr. Hagai Levine, MD, MPH, head of the Environmental Health Track at the Hadassah-Hebrew University Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, comes on to discuss the latest findings in low sperm count and how this should be a wake up call for men and health professionals with a goal in reversing this trend.