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A PRIVATE MEDICAL MECCA THAT ATTRACTS PATIENTS WORLDWIDE Herzliya Medical Center treats patients from all over the world seeking top medical care. 1. As you walk through the corridors and clinics of the Herzliya Medical Center (HMC), it is a bit difficult to figure out what country you are in. 2. One is just as likely to see patients chattering with their families in Russian or Arabic and a stately African man in colorful ethnic garb or a uniformed United Nations soldier just might pass by. 3. This is because the Medical Center, which is a full-fledged private hospital located in central Israel just north of Tel Aviv, is an international Mecca for those seeking quality private health care. A full one-third of its patients are Eastern Europeans, Africans, residents of neighboring countries like Greece and Cyprus or even citizens of Arab countries like Kuwait seeking top medical care. They join Israelis who choose private care, or whose publicly subsidized HMOs (Health Maintenance Organization) reimburse them for the Medical Centers services. 4. Providing health care in no less than 12 languages, HMC is known as the "diplomatic hospital" of Israel since nearly every major embassy and consulate uses HMC as its primary address for health care. 5. But HMC does not just import patients from around the world - it exports its expertise. In a conference room deep in the basement of the building, HMC CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Dr. Aubrey Joffe points proudly to a wall covered with architectural plans. The designs carry the names of hospitals all over the world - from Russia to Greece to Turkey, to countries across the continent of Africa, all of which HMC has been hired to help design, with bids that compete with and beat major companies. 6. "When we opened our doors in 1982, we never dreamed we would become a full-fledged general hospital," Joffe told ISRAEL21C. "And we certainly never imagined that we would be looked upon as a model for hospitals overseas." 7. Indeed, it all began quite modestly. A group of investors decided to build a medical center modeled on those in their native South Africa, and locate it in the upscale beachside town of Herzliya - where doctors' offices would be located and supportive clinical services provided as well as surgical facilities for minor procedures. 8. At the time, it was an alien concept. While there were many Israeli doctors with private clinics which supplemented their work in public hospitals, HMOs and universities, these clinics were nearly always in their home or in the apartment of a relative. "People said we were building a white elephant," Joffe said.

2 9. But they forged ahead - assisted by a timely crackdown from income tax authorities on doctors who were hiding their private income from home clinics. This motivated many, including the country's top practitioners to seek professional office space and affiliation with HMC. 10. Shortly after they opened, the new medical center was thrust into expanding its horizons as the result of a strike which shut down the operating rooms of the public hospitals. 11. "There were two babies in Tel Hashomer who needed open-heart surgery and would die without it," Joffe recalls. "Their doctor worked with HMC and asked us to help them. So we took an operating room that was set up for minor plastic and eye surgery and we converted it into a fully-equipped cardiac OR, and we also set up an intensive care unit." 12. Not only were the babies saved, but a cardiac surgery unit was born, along with a vision for a private hospital which offered a far greater range of services than originally imagined. In 1991, the building underwent expansion and increased its number of operating rooms. "With great modesty, we can say that we are very successful today. We run a profitable hospital - not an easy task and we are very proud and excited about it," says Joffe. 13. Today, HMC offers comprehensive health care services ranging from diagnostics to treatments embracing a wide variety of investigative and surgical procedures, such as neurosurgery, cardiac angiography, open-heart surgery, kidney transplants, nuclear medicine, computer tomography, cytogenetics, IVF and other state-of-the-art procedures. 14. It is a primary address for most major medical insurers from overseas. HMC is the only medical organization outside of the USA to be fully accredited as a hospital provider by Empire Blue Cross-Blue Shield and it is also an official provider for many other insurance and assistance companies in Europe, North America and Asia. 15. Nearly all of the major embassies and consulates have a relationship with HMC, which is also the referral hospital of the Multi-National Forces Organization. HMC is the regional referral hub for several leading emergency assistance companies, and HMC operates rescue missions to and from more than 20 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. The patients are usually evacuated for intensive treatment directly to the Herzliya Medical Center. Those who come to Israel from overseas who don't need inpatient care often check into one of the beachside hotels near HMC, enjoying a Mediterranean view as they recuperate. 16. While HMC is not internationally known in the way that major hospitals like Hadassah are recognized, Joffe explains that the center fills a key niche that is very different, but just as important. "I think we bring experience to the table that a public hospital simply can't. Our expertise is creating efficiency and the optimal costeffective design and operation of hospital. There is no doubt that the major Israeli public hospitals are among the best-equipped in the world. But you have to remember that in addition to government support, they receive a massive number of donations,

3 which is wonderful, but does not develop a tendency to think about efficiency. There is no great amount of thought given to the cost-effectiveness of their machines or their facilities. In some places, they receive state-of-the-art equipment as a donation, and then don't have enough money to operate it." 17. Turning a profit, he contends, is completely compatible with saving lives and making the world a better place.

1. The examples in paragraphs 1-2 illustrate the idea that HMC ______________________________________________________________ 2. Mark the two sentences that are incorrect, and explain why they are not correct: a. HMC designs new hospitals overseas. b. HMC is a public healthcare facility. c. HMC provides health care in several languages. d. HMC takes part in non-competitive bidding _____________________________ ________________________________ 3. Para. 5, line 5, the word which refers to _________________________ 4. When did HMC first start operating? ____________ 5. Not only does HMC _________________ (1 word) or attract many overseas patients, it also ___________________________________ (3 words) 6. In the beginning CEO Joffe was accused of building a white elephant because: a. b. c. d. Many senior doctors already had private practices. Doctors preferred offices in private homes or apartments. Private medical clinics were then unknown. The center was located in the upscale beachside town of Herzliya

7. How did the income tax authorities assist the South African investors? ______________________________________________________________ 8. The expansion of HMC in its early years was due to a _________ (1 word) in _______________________ (2 words) 9. As a direct result of the expansion, two lives were saved. Explain this statement. ______________________________________________________________ 10. Explain the connection between HMC and health insurance providers from overseas. _____________________________________________________________

5 11. Fill in one word in each space. Whereas some foreign patients are hospitalized for intensive emergency ____________ at HMC, others do not require ______________ care at all and can enjoy a hotel stay in Herzliya.

12. The main idea of the passage is: a. b. c. d. HMC is heavily involved with hi-tech activities and computerization. HMC provides quality medical care for the diplomatic corps. HMCs main aim is to make a profit and compete with public hospitals. HMC has successfully filled an important niche in the private medical market.

Vocabulary Practice Find words in the text for the following: __________________________ (Para.1) ________________________ (Para.3) _________________________ (Para.3) __________________ (Para.3) ( ) ____________________ (Para.4) ________________________ (Para.5) __________________________ (Para.6) '' ________________________ (Para.8) ________________________ (Para.9) __________________________ (Para.9) ___________________ (Para.9) , __________________ (Para.10) __________________ (Para.11) _____________________ (Para.11) _______________ (Para11) ________________ (Para.12) _________________ (Para.12) ( ) ________________________ (Para.13) ________________________ (Para.13) __________________ (Para.13) __________________ (Para.13) , ________________ (Para.14) _________________ (Para.15) _____________________ (Para.15) ______________________ (Para.16) _______________________ (Para.16) _____________________ (Para.16) ______________________ (Para.17)
.1 .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .9 .10 .11 .12 .13 .14 .15 .16 .17 .18 .19 .20 .21 .22 .23 .24 .25 .26 .27 .28