Ichilov Hospital is currently launching, as part of Ichilov HOME, a new initiative that, for the first time in Israel, establishes full cardiology and surgical inpatient departments – in the patient’s home. Today (Sunday), seven patients from these departments at Ichilov were transferred to home hospitalization for the first time.
This is full medical hospitalization under the responsibility and management of hospital medical teams, including advanced medical monitoring, doctor and nurse visits, and performing tests and treatments at home – within an Ichilov departmental framework. This is in contrast to the well-known home treatments that have been practiced in Israel in recent years.
As part of the initiative, patients who have undergone surgeries or cardiac events will be transferred to their homes to receive full medical care and supervision – in a warm and familiar environment, under comfortable and personally tailored conditions.
"Until now, real home hospitalization for heart patients has not been performed in Israel – only home treatments for chronic patients," says Prof. Shmuel Banai, Head of the Cardiology Division at Ichilov. "Today we’re taking it one step further. We’ve established home hospitalization as a direct continuation of hospitalization in the cardiology department and in the cardiac intensive care unit; cardiology hospitalization by the hospital, operating in the patient’s home."
The war accelerated the project launch
"We’re operating the first home hospitalization of its kind in Israel, and probably in the world: a home cardiology department that also treats complex patients – those who are usually hospitalized with us for many days. Now they are transferred to their homes with close follow-up by an Ichilov cardiologist and under our full responsibility in collaboration with the Tzabar company."
Prof. Guy Lahat, Head of the Surgical Division at Ichilov, adds: "The idea of establishing a framework for surgical hospitalization at home has been developing with us for a while – it’s part of the vision of tomorrow’s medicine. Part of the active post-operative hospitalization currently done at the hospital can be carried out in the patient’s home – with monitoring, follow-up, and professional treatment by doctors from our surgical division. In collaboration with Tzabar, we are operating another hospitalization unit from the division – just at home. The treatment is actually carried out by a visiting doctor and nurse, with treatment, management, and supervision by a senior surgeon from our team."
"We’ve been working on expanding Ichilov HOME for months," adds Ruti Sassportas, VP of Medical Operations at Ichilov. "The war only accelerated the move: the need to reduce the stay of patients in protected but less comfortable parking areas made the move urgent. But this is not just a solution for emergency times – it’s a framework that will become a permanent part of the system even during routine times."