A landmark agreement was recently signed between Wolper Jewish Hospital in Sydney and the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) envisages a deepening relationship in areas of rehabilitation and genetics to deliver better outcomes to patients in both Israel and Australia.
The agreement was signed at Wolper’s recent AGM. “Wolper is very much guided by our Jewish ethos and the desire to continually evolve … to always offer the very best of care to our patients. The establishment of the Gandel Rehabilitation Centre on Hadassah’s Mount Scopus campus presented an opportunity for Wolper to partner with a leading Jewish organisation with similar aspirations and values” Wolper Jewish Hospital president at the time of signing, Richard Glass, told the Australian Jewish News.
“This MoU plays to the mutual and complementary strengths of both institutions,” said Hadassah Australia President Ron Finkel AM.
Wolper has a reputation as a rehabilitation centre of excellence. Hadassah, with the vision and significant financial support of the John and Pauline Gandel Family Foundation, is opening Jerusalem’s first dedicated rehabilitation centre.
Glass said the opportunity for knowledge sharing, research collaborations and personnel secondments will have a material benefit in both Israel and Australia.
“The MoU envisages professional exchanges which will both add strategic value and provide enhanced patient outcomes,” he said. In addition to the core focus on rehabilitation, this MoU highlights the deeply shared interest and commitment of both organisations in reducing the incidence of genetic faults in the community through comprehensive genetic screening.
Wolper has run its community genetic screening and pre-conception programs since 1995. Hadassah is the home of the world’s largest repository of Jewish community genetic data – and Glass said accessing that database and the skills and knowledge will enhance Wolper’s vitally important work in this area of community service.