Medical news from The Chaim Society From Orlando to Shamir: Building Israel’s next generation of gastroenterology – Heritage Florida Jewish News
Medical news from The Chaim Society From Orlando to Shamir: Building Israel’s next generation of gastroenterology
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By any measure, medicine advances through innovation. But every once in a while, innovation is sparked by a mentor, a fellowship, and a vision that ultimately transforms an entire healthcare system.
For Dr. Dana Ben-Ami, the incoming chief of the Gastroenterology Institute at Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), that journey began in 2018, when she was selected for an advanced fellowship in interventional endoscopy at the renowned Center for Interventional Endoscopy at AdventHealth in Orlando, Florida
“Working alongside physicians who transformed gastrointestinal medicine was an extraordinary privilege,” Dr. Ben-Ami recalled. “Their philosophy was simple: every innovation should ultimately improve patients’ lives.”
That philosophy left a lasting impression
During the fellowship, Dr. Ben-Ami participated in complex EUS- and ERCP-guided procedures, learned cutting-edge minimally invasive techniques, and witnessed how a comprehensive center could seamlessly integrate clinical care, physician education, technological innovation, and research under one roof
“It wasn’t just about performing advanced procedures,” she says. “It was about creating an ecosystem where physicians, engineers, researchers, trainees, and patients all benefit from working together.”
When she returned to Israel, she carried with her not only new technical expertise but also a blueprint for the future
Since Dr. Ben-Ami completed her fellowship, two addiXonal Israeli physicians have trained in intervenXonal endoscopy at AdventHealth’s, further strengthening the professional Xes between AdventHealth and Israel and underscoring the Center’s ongoing role in educaXng future leaders in advanced endoscopy
Today, as director of the Gastroenterology Institute at Shamir Medical Center, Dr. Ben-Ami is working to bring that vision to life through the creation of the EDGE Center – Excellence in Digestive Gastroenterology, Endoscopy & Research, an ambitious initiative designed to position Shamir Medical Center among the world’s leading centers for digestive diseases
Serving more than one million residents, Shamir Medical Center is one of Israel’s largest hospitals and is undergoing significant expansion to meet the needs of one of the country’s fastest-growing regions. Modernizing gastroenterology has become a strategic insXtuXonal priority
Rather than viewing patient care, education, and research as separate endeavors, the EDGE Center brings them together through three integrated pillars that will be developed simultaneously
The first pillar focuses on Clinical Excellence, equipping physicians with state-of-the-art endoscopy systems, advanced EUS imaging platforms, next-generation ERCP technology, artificial intelligence-assisted endoscopy, and therapeutic equipment that enables earlier diagnosis and less invasive treatment
The second pillar is the creation of the EDGE Advanced Endoscopy Center- a purpose-built facility featuring six advanced endoscopy suites, dedicated EUS and ERCP procedure rooms, an expanded recovery and infusion center, a simulation laboratory, classrooms, and an international physician training academy. This center is intended not only to care for patients but also to train the next generation of gastroenterologists from Israel and abroad
The third pillar establishes a Clinical Research and Innovation Hub, dedicated to inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal cancers, pancreaticobiliary disorders, precision medicine, artificial intelligence, and international collaborative clinical trials
For Dr. Ben-Ami, these components are inseparable
“The future of medicine belongs to centers where innovation moves directly from the laboratory to the endoscopy suite and immediately benefits patients,” she explains. “Research should improve clinical care, and every clinical challenge should inspire new research.”
That philosophy closely mirrors the environment she experienced during her fellowship in Orlando
Looking back, Dr. Ben-Ami sees a direct line connecXng the mentorship she received during her fellowship to the vision now taking shape at Shamir Medical Center
“They taught me that excellence is never just about mastering procedures,” she says. “It’s about building systems that continue educating, innovating, and improving patient care long after a single operation is over.”
Today, that lesson is evolving into something much larger than a fellowship experience. It is becoming the foundation for a national center that aims to transform digestive healthcare in Israel for decades to come
The EDGE Center represents more than a new building or new technology. It is a commitment to ensuring that patients throughout Israel have access to the most advanced minimally invasive care, that physicians continue to train at the highest international standards, and that groundbreaking research developed in Israel contributes to improving gastrointestinal medicine around the world
To learn more about the EDGE Center iniXaXve or partnership opportuniXes, please contact Dana Ben-Ami, Director of Gastroenterology Department, Shamir Medical Center
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