Leumit …in the News!! The best kupa in Ramat Beit Shemesh
Leumit Health Services(Kupat Cholim)…In the News
(The following is a translation of the article written in the popular Beit Shemesh newspaper CHADASH on March 5, 2010.)
Hundreds of people have joined the Leumit Health Servcies revolution in Israeli medical service in Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef
THE MOST PERSONALIZED MEDICAL SERVICE IMAGINABLE
By David Harmati
A special pilot program run by Leumit Health Services puts special emphasis on the doctor-patient relationship*The physicians are available 24 hours a day for consultation*The physicians visit their patients in the hospital in order to allow better care for their patients* The director of the branch, Dr. Efraim Rosenbaum says. “many, many people have joined due to the level of service we are giving.”
Hundreds of residents of Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef have joined Leumit Health Services in the last eight months due to the amazing revolution in medical services that are offered in the branch. The doctors develop a special, personal relationship with the patients, are available for phone consultation 24 hours a day, and even go to the hospital to visit and make sure that they are receiving optimal medical care at the hospital.
The medical director of the branch, Dr. Efraim Rosenbaum, explains that these are not minor cosmetic changes, but rather changes that Leumit Health Services hopes to put into place throughout Israel. “If this pilot succeeds, and to date, it has been very successful, the model will be applied to other parts of Beit Shemesh and then to other parts of the country.
One of the essential elements of the revolution is that each patient receives the pelephone of his own personal physician and can call 24 hours a day. If a baby is burning up from fever in the middle of the night, you don’t necessarily need to go to an urgent care facility. You can call the doctor, and get guidance of what to do to get your baby through the night and see your doctor in the morning.
According to the medical director of the branch, he and his colleagues were not surprised to find that 90% of the phone calls that they receive are able to resolved with information from the doctor over the phone. About 10% of the cases require an urgent care facility or emergency room. “There are some parents that don’t like to give medicine such as Acamol or Nurofen without discussing it with a physician, but after they give the medicine, the child improves and the family can stay home until the morning,” says Rosenbaum.
Another aspect of the service, is the direct, special relationship between the doctor and the patient, which is demonstrated by the physicians being actively involved in the care of the patient in the hospital via phone discussions with the hospital staff, and actually going themselves to the hospital. “Most of us trained in the United States and in Anglo countries, “says Rosenbaum, ” where it is an unwritten rule that the doctor visits his patients in the hospital. Currently we are starting a trend in Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef that we hope will take root throughout Israel. ”
Of note is that the branch of Leumit Health Services in Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef is located on Nachal Dolev. The staff also possesses unique tools to increase the doctor-patient relationship such as Smart Phones that receive email from patients, and a website that they themselves developed for their patients which contains articles, information on the branch, a bimonthly newsletter, the ability to renew prescriptions, make appointments, and much more. “Baruch Hashem, the patients have been very appreciative of our services and many have joined our wonderful care which is given from the heart.”
For a look at the original article click here 100300_140310090502_7